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A  Monumental  Boulder  on  the  Green 


1639  1909       'u  Q 


Ifairfielb 

Hncient  anb  ^obern 

A.    BRIKF    ACCOUNT,    HISTORIC    AND    DESCRIPTIVE 

OK 

E  ^Famous  Connecticut  Uown 

PREPARED    IN    COMMEMiORATION    OE    THE 

^wo  MunJ>reb  an&  Seventietb  Hnniversar? 

OK 

^be  ^own'6  Settlement 

BY 

FRANK    SAMUEL   CHILD 

IPtesiDent  ot  tbe  3falrtielb  Iblstorical  Society 

ILOL-US  TRA.TBD 

jfairffelb   Iblstorfcal   Socfetis 
1909 


H0^ 


This  Book  is  sold  lor  the  benefit  of  the  Fairfield  Historical  Society. 
Price  in  Paper  is  Fifty  Cents;  in  Cloth  One  Dollar  and  a  Half.  A  few  copies 
bound  in  red  Turkey  morocco  will  be  sold  for  three  dollars. 


Copyright,    1909 

BY 

Frank  S.  Chii.i> 


INTRODUCTION. 

Thanks  are  due  Mrs.  Mabel  Osgood  Wright,  Mr.  Milton  S. 
lyacey  and  Dr.  Frank  S.  Child,  jr.,  for  the  illustrations  which 
adorn  this  handbook. 

Thanks  are  also  due  Mr.  J.  Sanford  Saltus  and  other  loyal 
members  of  the  Fairfield  Historical  Society  for  their  financial 
assistance  in  the  preparation  of  the  volume. 


CONTENTS 

A  Summary  of  Dates,  .....  Page  9 

Uncoa,  The  Great  Swamp  Fight,  15 — The  Town,  16 — Village 
Green,    17. 

The  Academy,  23 — The  Old  Burying  Ground,  24 — Ward  Monu- 
ment, 25^Eunice  Dennie  Burr,  26— The  East  Cemetery,  27 
— Oaklawn,  28. 

Benson  Tavern ^  28 — The  Powder  House,  28 — Railroad  and  Trol- 
ley, 29. 

Black  Rock  Harbor,  29 — The  Beach,  30 — Grover's  Hill,  30 — Ash 
Creek,  30 — The  Marshes,  31 — Penfield  Reef,  31 — Southport 
Harbor,  32. 

The  Burning  of  Fairfield  in  1779,33 — General  Washington  in 
Fairfield,  35. 

Names  of  Distinguished  Citizens  : — Roger  Ludlow,  Lieutenant- 
Governor  Gold,  Chief  Justice  Burr,  Judge  Ebenezer  Silli- 
man.  Col.  Andrew  Burr,  General  Silliman,  President  Aaron 
Burr,  Dr.  Caner,  Jonathan  Sturges,  Judge  Samuel  Burr 
Sherwood,  Morris  K.  Jesup,  Dr.  Bronson,  President  Timothy 
Dwight,  Governor  Tomlinson,  President  Sereno  Dwight, 
Judge  Hobart,  Judge  Roger  M.  Sherman,  Dr.  Nathaniel 
Hewit,  President  Heman  Humphrey,  Father  Augustus 
Hewit,  Joseph  E.  Shefiield,  Frederick  Marquand  and 
others,  36. 

A  Village  of  Pleasant  Homes,  41 — The  Intellectual  Atmosphere, 
42 — Historic  Sites,  43. 

Noteworthy  Houses — The  Burr  Homestead,  44 — The  Silliman 
House,  46 — Professor  Silliman' s  story  of  his  father's  capture, 
47 — Sherman  Parsonage,  47 — The  Gould  Homestead,  48 — 
Waldstein,  49 — The  Rowland  Homestead,  50 — Round  Hill, 
50 — Mailands,  51 — Greenfield  Hill,    51 — Verna  Farm,  51 — 


Daughters  of  the  American  Revo- 


Holland  Heights,  52— Mill    Hill,  52— Witch   Hill,  53— I'lie 
First  Work  of  the  Landscape  Gardener  in  Town,  53. 

The  Churches,  54— Fairfield  East  Parish,  56— West  Parish  of 
Fairfield,  56. 

Fairfield  Fresh  Air  Home,  57— A  Convalescent  Hospital  in  1898, 
58 — American  National  Red  Cross,  Fairfield  Branch,  58 — 
Auxiliarj'  No.  29,  59. 

The  Dorothy  Ripley  Chapter — Daughters  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution, 60 — The  Fountain,  60. 

Kunice  Dennie  Burr  Chapter 
lution,  61. 

Fairfield  Memorial  Library, 

Fairfield  Bathing  Pavilion, 

Pequot  Library,  Southport, 

Sasquanaug  Association,  Southport, 

The  Village  Improvement  Society,  Fairfield, 

The  Country  Club,  Greenfield  Hill,      . 

The  Grange,  Greenfield  Hill, 

The  Consumers'  League, 

Audubon  Society  of  the  State  of  Connecticut, 

The  Gould  Homestead  Summer  Home  for  Women 

Fairfield  Historical  Society, 

Bibliography,  ..... 

Letter  of  Rev.  Andrew  Eliot, 

"Fairfield,"  Extract  from  Dr.  Dwight's  "Greenfield  Hill 


62 

63 
64 
65 
65 
66 
67 
67 
68 
69 
69 
71 
74 
75 


f^^^^ 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


A  Monumental  Boulder  on  the  Green        .  .     Frontispiece. 

Main  Street  ......  8 

The  Pequot  Monument       .  .  .  .  .15 

Town  Hall — Old   Whipping   Post   in  the  foreground       .  17 

The   Sixth   Sanctuary  of  the  Prime  Ancient  Society       .  20 

St.  Paul's  Church  ......  22 

Lich-Gate   at  the   Ancient  Burying   Ground        .  .  24 

Ward  Monument     .  .  .  .  .  .26 

The  Powder  House  .  .  .  .  .28 

Fairfield  Beach — Grover's  Hill  in  the  distance       .  .  30 

Southport  Harbor — from  the  Lawn  of  Mr.  W.  H.   Perry  32 

Beach  Lane,  up  which  the  British  marched  in  1779  .  34 

The  Sun  Tavern      ......  36 

Sherman  Parsonage  .  .  .  .  .38 

Arching  Elms  .  .  .  .  .  .41 

A  Colonial  House  on  the  Green      ....  43 

The  Burr  Mansion  .....  44 

A  Garden  View  of  Sherman  Parsonage      ...  47 

Pulpit  Rock  ......  49 

The  Southport  Congregational  Church      .  .  .  52 

Trinity  Church        .  .  ,  .  .  .54 

St.Thomas'  Church  .....  56 

Fairfield  Fresh  Air  Home  .  .  .  .  .58 

Memorial  Fountain — Southport      ....  60 

Fairfield  Memorial  Library  .  .  ,  .62 

Pequot  Library — Southport  ....  64 

The  Fairfield  Fountain        .....  66 

The  Gould  Homestead         .....  69 

Mill  River  Ford        ......  70 

Saved  from  the  Burning  in  1779      .  .  .  -72 

A  View  on  Mill  Plain  .....  74 


Main  Street 


A  SUMMARY  OF  DATES. 


The  Great  Swamp  Fight,   which  ended  the   Pequot  War, 

July  13th,  1637 

The  settlement  of  Uncoa  by  Roger  Ludlow  and  other  ad- 
venturers, 1639 
Court  established  at  Uncoa,  1640 
First  Meeting-house — a  log  structure — probabl)^  erected,  1640 
Magistrates  appointed  for  Uncoa,  1643 
Rev.   John   Jones  and    a   company    from    Concord  join  the 

Plantation,  1644 

Name  of  settlement  changed  to  Fairfield.  1645 

First  Mill  built — the  miller  being  Henry  Jackson,  1648 

The  First  Probate  Records,  1648 

The  First  Land  Records  (the  first  twelve  pages  being  lost) 

William  Hill  being  Recorder.  1649 

Roger  Ludlow's  Code  for  Connecticut  completed,  1650 

The  trial  and  execution  of  ' '  Goody  Knapp' '  for  Witchcraft,    1653 
Fairfield  raises  troops  and  declares  war  against  the  Dutch, 
Ludlow  being  appointed  Commander-in-chief  of  the  mili- 
tary forces,  1653 
Ludlow  returns  to  England  and  serves  under  Cromwell  on 

the  First  Irish  Commission.  1654 

Meeting  House  rebuilt,  1663 

County  of  Fairfield  established,  and   Fairfield  chosen    as  the 
Shire   town,  County  buildings   being  erected   and  Courts 
held  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  March  and  the  first  Tues- 
day in  November  each  year,  1666 
Fairfield  Probate  Court  created  for  the  County,  1666 
Major    Nathan    Gold    appointed    by   General    Court  Com- 


mander-in-chief  of  militia  in  Fairfield  Countj^  1672 

A  Town  Magazine  ordered,  1674 

Voted  by  the  Town  to  build  a  stockade  around  the  principal 

part  of  the  settlement,  1675 

A  new  Prison  erected  on  the  Meeting  House  Green,  1679 

The  Town  orders  a  Stone  Fort  to  be  built  on  the  Green,        1681 
The  Town  votes  that  a  stockade  be  constructed  around  the 

Meeting  House,  the  School  House  and  the  Parsonage,        1689 
Parish  of  Pequonnock  (Stratfield)  set  off,  1691 

Four  Trials  for  Witchcraft,  viz.,  Mrs.  Staples,  Goody  Miller, 
Elizabeth  Clawson  and  Mercy  Desborough.  The  last 
named  was  convicted,  but  finally  pardoned.  The  others 
were  acquitted,  1692 

Grammar  School  started,  1693 

Death   of    Major   Nathan    Gold,     *'A    Pious   and  Worthy 

Magistrate,"  1694 

New  School  House  on  the  Green,  1695 

The  new  Meeting  House,  forty-five  feet  square,  1698 

Rev.  Joseph  Webb  joins  with  nine  other  ministers  in  found- 
ing Yale  College,  1701 
Fairfield  made  a  Port  of  Entry,  1702 
Nathan  Gold  (the  second)  elected  Lieutenant-Governor  of 

Connecticut,  continuing  in  office  sixteen  years,  1708 

The  Parish  of  West  Farms  (Green's  Farms)  set  off,  171 1 

The  new  County  Court  House,  Prison   and  Jailer's  House 

erected  on  the  Green,  17 18 

The  Parish  of  Greenfield  Hill  set  off,  1725 

First    House   of   Worship  erected  by  Church  of   England 

people  on  Mill  Plain,  1725 

The  Parish  of  Redding  organized,  1739 

Church  of  England  people  build  their  second  house  of  wor- 
ship on  the  King's  Highway,  west  of  the  Meeting  House 
Green,  1738 

The  Town  orders  a  new  Meeting  House  for  the  members  of 
the  State  Church.  The  edifice  is  built  on  the  site  of  the 
former  house   of   Worship,  and  stands   sixty  feet  long, 


fortj^-four  feet  wide,  twenty-six  feet  high,  with  a   steeple 
rising  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  from  the  foundation,   1747 
Rev.  Noah  Hobart's  Second  Book  Addressed   to   the  Epis- 
copal  Separation   is    published   by  D.   Fowle,   in   Queen 
Street,  Boston.  1751 

The  Parish  of  Norfield  (Weston)  is  set  off,  .  1757 

Guard  House   and  Hospital    for  His   Majesty's  48th   Regi- 
ment erected,  1758 
Stratfield  Baptist  Church  erects  House  of  Worship,  1761 
The    Parish    of    North   Fairfield    (now   called   Easton)   is 

organized,  1763 

Court  House,  Jail,  Jailer's  House  and  Pound  are  destroyed 

by  fire,  1768 

Town  voted   in  April   to  erect  new  Court    House,  Jail    and 

Jailer's  House,  1768 

Judge  Ebenezer  Silliman  elected  Speaker  of  Assembly,  1773 

Town  voted  to  send  relief  to  Boston — 750  bushels  of  grain,    1774 
Daughters  of   Eiberty  make   stockings,  linen  shirts,  home- 
spun garments  of  various  kinds,  and  send  them  to  the  be- 
sieged citizens  in  Boston,  i774 
Major  Gold  Sellick  Silliman  appointed  Lieutenant- Colonel.    1774 
Washington  passes   through  Fairfield  en  route  for  Boston, 

June  28th,  1775 

*^'  Married  at  the  residence  of  Thaddeus  Burr,  Esq.,  by  the 
Rev,  Andrew  Eliot,  the  Hon.  John  Hancock,  President  of 
the  Continental  Congress,  to  Miss  Dorothy  Quincy, 
daughter  of  Edmund  Quincy  of  Boston,"  September  28,    1775 

(Extract  from  Church  Register.) 
General  Silliman  captured  and  carried  by  the  British  to  Long 

Island,  May  ist,  1779 

The  Burning  of   Fairfield  by  General  Try  on,  July  8th  and 

9th,  1779 

The   Town  votes   to  build   a  new   Town  House   and  Court 

House  on  site  where  the  School  House  stood,  August  31,  1779 
The  Academy  at  Greenfield  Hill  is  established,  1783 

Fairfield  a  Half-Shire  Town,  1784 


The  new  Meeting  House  begun  on  site  of  former  House,        1785 
"  The  Conquest  of    Canaan,"    by  Timothy  D wight,  is  pub- 

Hshed.  1785 

Jonathan    vSturges   becomes   the    first  member  of   Congress 

from  this  district.  ^7^9 

Washington  visits  Fairfield,  his  fourth  visit  in  town,  October 

i6th,  1789 

A   Stake  is  to  be   driven  on    the   Parade,  Mill  Plain,  where 

the  new  Episcopal  Church  is  to  be  built,  1790 

"Greenfield  Hill,"  a  poem  by  Timothy  Dwight,  appears,      1794 
Dr.  Dwight  is  called  to  the  Presidency  of  Yale  College,  1795 

Trinity  Church  is  dedicated,  1798 

Fairfield  Academy  is  founded,  1804 

Lewis  B.  Sturges  serves  this   District  as  a  Member  of  Con- 
gress, 1805 
Fort  on  Grover's  Hill  is  put  in  order,  and  Fairfield  prepares 

for  war,  181 2 

Samuel   Burr  Sherwood   serves   the  District   as  Member  of 

Congress,  18 17 

The  State  Church  is  dis-established  by  Legislature.  The 
Prime  Ancient  Society  continues  to  be  supported  by  a  tax 
levied  upon  members  of  the  Parish,  181 8 

Gideon  Tomlinson  represents  the  District  in  Congress,  18 19 

Gideon  Tomlinson  is  elected  Governor  of  the  State,  1827 

Gideon  Tomlinson  becomes  a  member  of  the  U.  S.  Senate,     1831 
Thomas  B.  Osborne  represents  the  District  in  Congress,  1839 

Roger  Minott  Sherman  is  appointed  a  Judge  of  the  Superior 

Court,  1840 

The  new  House  of  Worship  for  the  Prime  Ancient  Society 

is  erected,  1850 

The  Court  removes  to  Bridgeport,  1853 

New  House  of  Worship,  Greenfield  Hill,  is  erected,  1854 

St.  Paul's  Church  is  organized.  1856 

The  Fifth   Edifice  of  Trinity  Church  is  destroj^ed   by  a  tor- 
nado, 1862 
The  Gray  Stone  House  of  Worship  for  Southport  Congre- 
gational Church  is  dedicated.  1876 


Fairfield  Memorial  Library  is  founded,  1876 

The  Town  Hall  rebuilt,  1870 

The  Centennial  Commemoration  of  the  Burning  of  Fairfield  1879 
The  One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  Fairfield 

Consociations  is  observed  in  Fairfield,  June  8th,  1886 

Sasquanaug  Association  organized  in  Southport,  '    1887 

The  Fifth  Sanctuary  of  the  Prime  Ancient  Society  is  burned, 

May  30,  1890 

The  dedication  of  the  Sixth  Sanctuary,  May  2nd,  1892 

The  Pequot  Library  is  opened  to  the  Public,  1893 

The  Fairfield  Memorial  Library  Building  is  dedicated,  1903 

The  Fairfield  Historical  Society  is  organized,  1903 


•»V 


The  Pkouot  Monument 


fairfielb. 


THIS  old  New  England  town  lies  on  the  north  shore  of  I^ong 
Island  Sound,  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  about  fifty  miles 
distant  from  New  York  City. 

The  many  waters  of  the  sea  fret  the  indented,  low-lying  shore. 
There  are  various  plains  extending  from  the  beach  and  the 
marshes  to  the  first  range  of  hills.  The  ascending  territory  rises 
in  a  sort  of  terrace-like  way  as  hill  after  hill  contributes  its 
strength  and  beauty  to  the  scene,  until  such  commanding  eleva- 
tion is  attained  that  miles  upon  miles  of  field  and  forest,  lowland 
and  upland,  blue  sea  and  rolling  country,  refresh  and  gladden 
the  eye  of  the  observer.  The  rich,  wide  panorama  is  a  beautiful 
expanse  of  rolling  scenery. 

THE  GREAT  SWAMP  FIGHT. 

The  dignified  and  substantial  monument  reared  by  the  Sons  of 
the  Colonial  Wars  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town  commem- 
orates one  of  the  most  important  events  in  the  history  of  the 
Colonies: 

The 

Great  Swamp  Fight 

Here  Ended 

The  Pequot  War 

July  13,  1637. 

This  ending  of  the  Pequot  nation  led  to  a  beginning  of  the 
Plantation  first  called  Uncoa.  Roger  lyudlow,  soldier,  statesman, 
adventurer,  was  one  of  the  little  army  which  pursued  the  fleeing 


i6 

savages.  Charmed  with  the  landscape  which  unfolded  before  his 
eyes,  he  sought  permission  from  the  General  Court  at  a  later 
date  to  found  a  settlement  here.  This  purpose  resulted  in  a 
small  emigration  to  this  place  in  the  autumn  of  1639,  under  the 
leadership  of  Ludlow,  who  was  at  the  time  Deputy- Governor  of 
Connecticut.  Weathersfield,  Windsor  and  the  Massachusetts 
Bay  Colony  were  represented  in  this  company.  Other  planters 
soon  followed  in  goodly  numbers.  Religious  services  were  im- 
mediately organized,  a  Court  established  in  164c,  the  village  soon 
platted,  a  rude  log  Meeting-house  reared  on  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent Congregational  Church,  the  stocks  and  whipping-post  set  up 
opposite  the  place  of  worship  on  the  Green,  and  the  young  settle- 
ment assumed  an  air  of  hope  and  prosperity. 

Magistrates  were  appointed  for  Uncoa  in  the  year  1643. 
The  following  year  the  first  minister,  with  a  goodly  company 
from  Concord,  arrived  in  town.  The  name  of  the  plantation  w^as 
changed  to  Fairfield  in  1645.  The  first  mill,  erected  by  Henr}^ 
Jackson,  miller,  began  business  in  1648,  the  same  year  that  is 
marked  by  the  first  Probate  Records.  William  Hill  was  the  first 
Recorder  of  papers.  The  first  twelve  pages  of  his  Records  are 
lost. 

THE  TOWN. 

The  first  settlers  purchased  the  tract  from  the  Indians.  Ulti- 
mately Fairfield  extended  from  the  Stratford  line  on  the  east  to 
the  Norwalk  line  on  the  west,  the  territory  running  back  into 
the  thickly  wooded  hills  some  twelve  miles  from  the  shore.  A 
patent  confirming  this  purchase  was  granted  to  the  proprietors 
in  possession  by  the  General  Court  of  Connecticut,  May  25th, 
1685 — a  quitclaim  deed  having  been  previously  executed  by  the 
Indians. 

The  original  town  has  been  pared  and  carved  for  the  advan- 
tage and  enrichment  of  various  neighbors— Westport,  Weston, 
Redding,  Easton,  Bridgeport,  and  the  like— until  the  territory  is 
diminished  to  a  quite  modest  portion  of  landscape. 

The  four  distinct  settlements  which  are  centres  of  population 


The  Town  Hall  on  the  Green 
Th?:  C)m)  Whii'I'ing  Post  made  into  a  Bulletin  Board 


17 

lie  so  close  together  that  the  town  has  the  appearance  of  one 
great,  spacious,  hospitable  village.  The  settlement  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Green  is  the  most  ancient  part  of  the  town. 
Southport  has  long  been  the  business  portion  of  Fairfield,  its 
harbour,  wharves,  banks,  stores  and  offices  bearing  witness  to  its 
importance.  Greenfield  Hill  still  retains  its  beautiful  rural  char- 
acter, while  Stratfield  has  become  practically  a  suburb  of 
Bridgeport.  Between  four  and  five  thousand  people  constitute 
the  population  of  the  town. 

THE  COUNTY. 

The  County  of  Fairfield  was  established  in  1666,  the  year  of 
the  Great  lyondon  fire.  The  village  of  Fairfield  became  the 
county  seat. 

The  necessary  buildings  were  erected,  and  County  Courts  were 
held  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  March  and  the  first  Tuesday  in 
November  each  year.  The  Probate  Court  was  also  established  in 
Fairfield.  In  17 18  the  county  erected  a  new  Court  House, 
Prison  and  Jailer's  House  on  the  Green.  The  honor  of  being  a 
county  capital  was  transferred  to  the  neighboring  and  aggressive 
city  of  Bridgeport  in  1853 — ^  neighbor  which  has  largely  en- 
croached upon  Fairfield  territory,  taking  into  the  city  limits  a 
goodly  portion  of  the  town,  absorbing  the  business  interests  of 
the  earlier  settlement,  superseding  Fairfield  as  a  Port  of  Entry, 
drawing  into  the  rank  and  file  of  its  business  men  many  of  our 
most  prominent  citizens. 

THE  VILLAGE  GEEEN. 

In  platting  the  settlement  the  Green  became  the  chief  place  of 
interest.  Here  was  located  the  Meeting  House,  the  Court  House, 
the  Jail,  the  School  House,  and  the  Ordinary  or  Inn.  A  cleared 
space  for  the  evolutions  of  the  citizen  soldiers  was  also  prepared 
on  the  Green. 

The  Green  has  verily  been  the  center  of  life  through  all  the 
generations.  Here  the  townsmen  gathered  in  Meeting  House  or 
Court  House  or  Town  Hall  for  discussing  public  matters,  and  for 


i8 

the  exercise  of  the  right  to  vote.  Here  the  train  band  and  the 
militia  were  drilled — the  regulation  training  days  being  festive 
occasions,  drawing  the  people  together  for  gossip  and  bargain. 
Ludlow  summoned  his  soldier  company  to  this  familiar  place 
and  prepared  them  for  an  attack  upon  the  Dutch,  for  which  he 
was  reprimanded  by  his  critical  associates  in  the  Colonial 
Government. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Green  a  generous  piece  of  water  diver- 
sified the  landscape,  making  a  pond  so  deep  that  Mercy  Disbrow 
and  Elizabeth  Clawson,  reputed  witches,  were  thrust  into  it  so  as 
to  determine  by  sinking  or  swimming  whether  they  were  daugh- 
ters of  Belial  or  not.  It  is  recorded  "  that  they  buoyed  up  like 
a  cork" — evidence  which  satisfied  some  onlookers  that  they  be- 
longed to  the  Evil  One. 

The  swamp  which  extended  from  the  pond  into  the  marshes 
was  a  favorite  resort  of  wolves  and  other  wald  beasts,  and  the 
tradition  runs  that  witch  meetings  often  convened  in  the  dark 
and  murky  spot,  their  strange,  wild  cries  sounding  hideously 
upon  the  midnight  air,  their  baleful  influences  scattering  wide- 
spread over  the  community. 

The  Green  is  intimately  associated  with  the  history  of  the 
Fairfield  Bar,  for  here  lawyers,  judges,  litigants,  witnesses  and 
spectators  gathered  for  more  than  two  hundred  years  in  the 
Court  House,  and  sought  the  settlement  of  legal  difficulties. 
Some  of  the  most  eloquent  and  learned  addresses  ever  made  in 
Connecticut  were  delivered  in  the  little,  old  wooden  structure 
near  the  middle  of  the  Green.  The  noon  hour  saw  judge  and 
jury,  defendant  and  plaintiff,  witnesses,  with  friends  and  foes, 
mingling  amicably  together  as  they  passed  back  and  forth  be- 
tween Court  House  and  tavern. 

Indians  were  seen  to  skulk  across  the  Green  and  hide  behind 
the  trees,  to  the  great  alarm  of  the  neighbors  on  many  an  occa- 
sion. There  were  periods  when  this  peril  became  so  imminent 
(the  year  1675  for  example)  that  the  order  went  forth  to  stock- 
ade the  town.  It  was  ordered  that  a  Town  Magazine  be  main- 
tained in  1674.     In   1 68 1  it  was  voted  that  a  stone  forttw^enty  or 


19 

twenty-five  rods  square  be  built  on  the  Green.  It  was  voted  in 
1689  that  a  stockade  be  built  around  the  Meeting  House,  the 
School  House,  and  the  residence  of  Samuel  Wakeman,  the 
minister. 

It  was  on  this  piece  of  open  field  that  Colonel  Andrew  Burr 
drilled  his  men  when  preparing  for  strife  with  Indians  and 
Frenchmen.  Here  General  Silliman  gathered  the  militia  in  the 
days  when  our  people  were  fighting  for  their  liberties.  The  ad- 
dress to  the  inhabitants  of  Connecticut,  prepared  by  Commodore 
Sir  George  Collier  and  Major- General  Tryon,  which  was  freely 
distributed  in  town,  on  their  arrival  off  the  shore,  received  the 
following  spirited  answer: 

"Fairfield,  July  7th,  1779. 
Sir: 

Connecticut  having  nobly  dared  to  oppose  the  usurpation  of 
an  unjust  and  oppressive  nation,  (as  flames  have  preceded  the 
answer  to  your  flag,)  we  hope  they  will  still  continue,  as  far  as 
in  their  power,  to  protect  persecuted  and  oppressed  innocence. 

Sam.  Whiting,  Colonel. 
Sir  George  Collier  and  Governor  Tryon. 
Per  Mr.  Sayer,  in  flag." 

When  the  British  assaulted  and  burned  the  town,  General  Sil- 
liman made  his  headquarters  in  the  Bulkley  house  on  the  south 
edge  of  the  Green,  while  his  troops  bivouacked  in  the  open 
spaces  lying  beneath  his  eyes.  Two  or  three  nights  later,  when 
the  town  was  nothing  but  a  heap  of  hot  ashes,  burning  cinders, 
tall  blackened  chimneys  and  scorched  withered  trees,  the  Conti- 
nental troops,  under  Colonel  Whiting,  covered  the  Green  with 
their  white  tents  and  turned  their  hands  to  the  alleviation  of 
misery. 

It  was  in  Deacon  Bulkley' s  house  on  the  Green,  one  of  the 
five  left  standing,  that  public  worship  was  conducted  by  Rev. 
Andrew  Eliot  the  Sunday  following  the  conflagration.  When 
the  local  militia  left  the  Green,  many  of  the  citizens  encamped 
here  until  some  rude  shelters  were  erected  for  their  use  on  the 
various  desolated  home  lots. 


20 


The  new  Court  House  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  old  School 
House,  near  the  center  of  the  Green,  and  after  September  loth, 
1 780,  the  people  who  worshipped  according  to  the  forms  of  the 
Established  Religion  of  Connecticut  used  the  building  for  their 
service  until  the  new  Meeting  House  erected  on  the  site  of  the 
old  one  was  enclosed  and  made  fairly  comfortable  in  March,  1786. 

On  training  days  the  Green  sometimes  assumed  the  appear- 
ance of  an  open  market,  where  various  articles  were  offered  for 
sale. 

During  the  War  of  18 12  the  Green  became  the  scene  of  fresh 
preparations  for  war,  the  militia  meeting  often  for  drill,  the  citi- 
zens gathering  in  the  open  as  a  convenient  rendezvous  where 
they  might  discuss  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 

When  peace  was  declared  a  great  celebration  was  here  enacted. 
The  day  chosen  was  February  the  25th,  1815.  Early  in  the 
morning  a  Federal  salute  was  fired  by  the  soldiers  of  Fort  Union 
on  Grover's  Hill.  Colonel  Gershom  Burr  had  placed  his  artillery 
on  the  Green,  and  an  answer  to  the  soldiery  of  Fort  Union  was 
returned. 

A  procession  started  from  Fort  Union  at  ten  in  the  morning, 
and  marched  across  Ash  Creek  and  along  the  highway,  passing 
the  Gould  homestead,  the  destination  being  the  Green.  It  was 
snowing  and  the  day  was  inclement,  but  thousands  had  gath- 
ered to  rejoice  in  the  event.  The  gay,  erect  soldiers,  the  bands 
of  music,  the  emblematic  craft  set  on  runners,  beautifully 
trimmed  with  red,  white  and  blue — the  flags  of  England,  Spain, 
France,  Italy,  Portugal,  and  other  nations — the  ringing  of  bells, 
the  blazing  of  guns,  the  huzzas  of  the  multitudes,  the  gayet}^, 
enthusiasm  and  abandon  of  the  day,  made  the  scene  one  of  the 
most  delightful  associated  with  the  Green. 

There  was  a  religious  service  in  the  Meeting  House,  where 
Mr.  Humphrey,  the  minister,  made  an  eloquent  speech.  Then 
the  procession  marched  up  and  down  the  streets  so  that  all  the 
spectators  might  enjoy  a  good  look  at  their  splendor.  Then 
everybody  hastened  to  the  Green  and  gazed  wonderingly  upon 
the  steaming,  sizzling  ox  which  was  barbecued  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  the  people. 


House  of  Worship  of  the  Prime  Ancient  Society 


21 

The  second  story  of  the  Court  House  became  the  scene  of 
wildest  merriment,  for  here  the  feast  was  spread,  and  the  proces- 
sion of  guests  streamed  in  and  out  through  the  day.  At  sunset 
there  was  another  Federal  salute,  the  town  was  illuminated,  each 
window  pane  with  a  tallow  or  sperm  candle,  the  white,  crisp 
snow  enhancing  the  brilliancy  of  the  picture.  A  tall,  slender 
tree  had  been  set  in  the  midst  of  the  parade  ground,  many  cross 
pieces  being  nailed  to  it,  each  end  of  each  cross-piece  adorned 
with  a  tar  barrel.  This  tar- besmeared,  towering  object  was  then 
set  on  fire,  and  the  illumination  of  the  town  reached  its  climax. 

But  the  crowning  event  of  the  occasion  w^as  the  ball  in  the 
Knapp  tavern  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Green.  The  ball- 
room was  adorned  w^th  much  bunting  and  innumerable  candles, 
the  fire  places  heaped  with  drift  wood  shed  light  and  heat  upon 
the  gorgeous  assembly,  all  the  fine  old  garments  of  the  neighbor- 
hood appeared  in  the  pageant,  silks  brought  from  China  by  ad- 
venturous captains,  velvets  from  the  looms  of  France,  laces, 
plumes,  gold  chains  and  sparkling  jewels — the  treasured  heir- 
looms of  a  generation.  The  sober,  w^earied  people  tramping 
over  the  Green  disappeared  at  nine  o'clock  when  the  illumination 
concluded,  but  the  youth  and  the  gentry  tarried  at  the  tavern 
until  the  small  hours  of  the  night. 

There  have  been  many  lively  scenes  upon  the  Green  at  various 
periods  of  history,  sometimes  social  in  character,  sometimes 
political,  and  sometimes  martial  and  occasionally  religious.  For 
the  past  twelve  3'ears  it  has  been  the  custom  of  the  Eunice 
Dennie  Burr  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion to  invite  the  public  to  join  with  them  in  the  observance  of 
Independence  Bay  on  the  Green.  The  over-arching,  venerable 
trees  make  a  natural  temple.  Beneath  this  grateful  shade  the 
company  gathers  to  hear  anew  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
and  a  brief  patriotic  address,  to  join  in  singing  national  hymns 
and  to  listen  to  the  martial  notes  of  the  band.  It  has  become  an 
annual  re-consecration  of  the  place  and  the  people  to  the  aims 
and  hopes  of  the  original  planters  in  Fairfield. 

Very  early  in  the  history  of  the  settlement  a  whipping-post 
and  the  stocks  were  placed  on   the  Green   directlj^  across  the 


22 

Street  from  the  Meeting  House.  The  records  note  how  one  and 
another  offender  was  sentenced  to  be  whipped  twenty  or  thirty 
or  forty  lashes,  or  to  be  confined  in  the  stocks  three  hours,  five 
hours,  or  a  day.  Drunkenness,  profanity,  unseemly  carriage, 
inveagling  a  girl's  affections,  petty  breaches  of  the  peace,  scold- 
ing, profanation  of  the  Sabbath,  witch  work  in  the  community, 
unlicensed  use  of  tobacco,  disturbance  of  meetings  and  many 
like  crimes  were  expiated  here  in  full  view  of  the  citizens  who 
gathered  on  Lecture  day  or  on  some  special  occasion.  The  boys 
had  a  way  of  baiting  the  law-breakers,  reminding  them  of  their 
sins  and  crimes,  magnifying  the  punishment  by  those  pestiferous 
annoyances  which  are  so  aptly  administered  by  the  rising  gener- 
ation. 

The  rude  jail  on  the  edge  of  the  Green  was  repaired  in  1675 
and  a  new  one  built  in  1679.  The  jail  with  other  buildings  was 
destroyed  in  1768 — set  on  fire  by  one  of  the  prisoners.  The  next 
jail — reared  on  the  site  where  St.  Paul's  Church  now  stands — 
suffered  the  fate  of  the  town  in  1779  and  went  up  in  flames. 

When  the  county  seat  moved  to  Bridgeport  in  1853,  St.  Paul's 
Church  entered  into  possession  of  the  property,  re-constructed 
the  edifice  and  transformed  it  into  the  Gothic  structure  which 
stands  beautifully  mantled  with  ivy  to-day,  contributing  its  rest- 
ful and  suggestive  beauty  to  the  historic  Green. 

The  Norman  Church  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  is  the  suc- 
cessor of  five  other  sacred  edifices  which  have  been  reared  at  vari- 
ous periods  on  the  same  hallowed  ground.  The  log  Meeting 
House  of  1640,  re-built  in  1668,  gave  way  to  a  frame  building  in 
1698.  This  was  superseded  by  a  dignified  colonial  structure 
worthy  of  a  prosperous  settlement.  This  third  building  was  torn 
down  to  make  way  for  an  enlarged  and  comely  Meeting  House 
with  lofty  spire  and  ornate  entrance.  The  British  burned  it 
although  Tryon  had  promised  to  preserve  both  the  parish  Meet- 
ing House  and  Trinity  Church.  The  poverty  of  a  war  scourged 
country  crippled  the  people  when  they  reared  the  next  edifice, 
but  it  was  finished  after  many  years  and  finally  gave  place  to  the 
more  modern  and  elegant  sanctuary  dedicated  in  1840.  This 
latter  building  was  "caught  up"  by  fire  on  the  night  of  May 


^:  ..rS^ 

:.    ;f^  ^vl^^l 

WiifiR*' 

^^lUj^ 

■  A^ 

"m 

|,\,^El^ 

K 

Ik  '^^\fl''^^^'3fe^tti^^iif 

bi«H 

m^'ip-  -:. 

"1  p 

^■^^^■P;^-      i:^ 

m 

St.  Paul's  Church 


23 

29th  and  the  morn  of  May  30th,  1890.  The  sixth  Sanctuary, 
described  by  Principal  Fairbairn  of  Mansfield  College,  Oxford,  as 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  churches  of  America,  was  gratefully 
dedicated  as  a  precious  memorial  of  the  Forefathers  in  Fairfield 
on  May  the  2nd,  1892. 

THE  FAIRFIELD  ACADEMY. 

The  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  Acade- 
my was  celebrated  by  the  Historical  Society  and  the  Alumni  of 
the  school  on  October  28th,  1904.  Although  the  institution  has 
suspended  work  for  several  years  its  history  is  treasured  by  many 
people  and  the  roll  of  its  constituency  contains  many  prominent 
names. 

The  first  trustees  were  Judge  Jonathan  Sturges,  Rev.  Andrew 
Eliot,  Deacon  David  Judson,  Nathan  Beers,  jr.,  and  Samuel 
Rowland,  Esq.  The  gentlemen  who  served  on  the  Board  in 
addition  to  the  first  named  are  David  Allen,  Dr.  Heman  Hum- 
phrey, Joshua  Green,  David  Hull,  Judge  Roger  M.  Sherman, 
Ebenezer  D.  Dimon,  General  Gershom  Burr,  Walter  Thorp, 
Jesup  Wakeman,  W.  B.  Nash,  M.  D.,  Dr.  Nathaniel  Hewit,  Ed- 
ward Hooker,  Andrew  Eliot,  jr.,  Rev.  Leonard  Bacon,  Rev. 
John  Hunter,  W.  B.  Jones,  Abram  Gould  Jennings,  Charles 
Bennett,  Judge  Thomas  Osborne,  O.  W.  Jones,  Dr.  Lyman  At- 
water,  George  A.  Phelps,  Hon.  John  Gould,  Henry  T.  Curtiss, 
Captain  David  M.  Bunker,  Moses  G.  Betts,  John  G.  Morehouse, 
Rev.  E.  E.  Rankin,  D.  D.,  Rev.  L.  B.  Stimson,  John  H.  Glover, 
Rev.  Frederick  W.  Hyde,  Oliver  B.  Jennings,  Samuel  Glover, 
Samuel  Morehouse,  Rev.  J.  K.  Lombard,  President  George  S. 
Burroughs,  D.  D.,  S.  M.  Garlick,  M.  D.,  and  Benjamin  Betts. 

Among  the  principals  were  Samuel  Hitchcock,  the  eminent 
lawyer;  President  Humphrey  of  Amherst  College,  Governor 
Henry  Dutton,  Rev.  Dr.  Elihu  Baldwin,  first  President  of 
Marietta  College;  Dr.  A.  B.  Pearce,  first  President  of  Western 
Reserve  College;  Dr.  Daniel  March,  the  author;  Henry  Day, 
one  of  the  eminent  lawyers  of  New  York,  and  Morris  W.  Lyon 


24 

who  for  many  years  conducted  a  famous  and  successful  prepara- 
tory school  for  boys  in  the  metropolis. 

The  Academy  attracted  generous  patronage  during  the  early 
years  of  its  life.  The  multiplication  of  schools  and  the  changes 
in  methods  of  public  instruction  acted  adversely  upon  the  old 
academies  of  the  land  and  the  Fairfield  institution  suffered  with 
schools  of  a  kindred  character. 

The  Hargrove  School,  recently  established  in  Fairfield,  is  a 
high  class  preparatory  school,  aiming  to  do  a  special  work  for 
students  who  desire  individual  guidance  and  instruction.  An 
opportunity  is  given  to  do  two  years'  class-room  tasks  in  one 
year.  The  tutors  take  the  pupils  singly,  devoting  one,  two, 
three  or  four  hours  to  them  as  may  be  deemed  advisable.  It  is 
not  that  the  young  man  is  crowded,  but  simply  that  there  is  no 
waste.  He  receives  the  master's  undivided  attention  during  the 
time  set  apart  for  his  lesson.  This  enables  a  student  to  com- 
press into  brief  period  work  that  often  lags  through  the  years. 

THE  OLD  BURYING  GROUND. 

Southeast  of  the  Green  lies  the  ancient  God's  Acre  on  the 
road  to  the  beach.  This  sacred  place  has  been  reverently  safe- 
guarded by  substantial  walls  over  which  fond  vines  tenderly 
climb.  A  beautiful  stone  lich-gate  gives  entrance  to  the  quiet 
field.  Here  the  earlier  burials  occurred.  Venerable  stones — 
the  oldest  date  is  1687 — still  mark  some  resting-places  of  the 
dead,  but  many  graves  remain  unmarked.  The  later  monuments 
show  good  state  of  preservation.  The  names  of  numerous 
eminent  citizens,  soldiers  and  scholars  appear  upon  the  stones. 

On  May  30th,  1904,  the  Eunice  Dennie  Burr  Chapter  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  dedicated  a  bronze  tablet 
placed  on  the  lich-gate  in  memory  of  the  soldiers  and  patriots  of 
the  American  Revolution  whose  mortal  remains  repose  here 
beneath  the  greensward. 

The  Burying  Ground  has  become  the  Mecca  of  many  a  pious 
pilgrimage  —  a  place  suggestive  of  peace,  honor,  loyalty  and 
courage. 


LiCH  Gate  at  thk  Ancient  Burying  Ground 


25 

One  of  the  earlier  settlers  and  adventurers  in  Fairfield — An- 
drew Ward,  has  been  recently  commemorated  by  a  chaste,  stal- 
wart block  of  granite  reared  near  the  centre  of  the  Ground. 
His  numerous  living  descendants  thus  honor  a  fearless,  aggres- 
sive, conspicuous  pioneer  and  citizen  almost  two  hundred  and 
fift}^  years  after  the  close  of  his  strenuous,  enterprising  career. 

An  interesting  and  remarkable  inscription  chiseled  into  the 
modest  Silliman  monument  reads  as  follows  : 

In   memory  of 

Gold  Selleck  Silliman  Esq. 

Who  died  in  Brooklyn,   New  York 

June  3,   1868 

in  the  91st  year  of  his  age. 

And  of 

Benjamin  Silliman  ly.L-D. 

More  than  fifty  years  Professor  of 

Natural  Science  in  Yale  College, 

Who  died  in   New  Haven,   Connecticut 

Nove.   24,   1 86 1 

in  the  86th  year  of  his  age. 

Their  remains  are  interred   in  the  places 

of  their  decease. 

Eminent  in  Honor,   Generosity,  Affection, 

Patriotism,   Intellectual  Culture,  and  Christian 

Principle.    They  were  bound  together  through 

life  by  the  strongest  fraternal  ties. 

They  were  sons  of 

General  Gold  S.  Silliman 

Who  died  A.   D.   1790,  and  grandsons  of 

Honorable  Ebenezer  Silliman 

deceased  A.  D.  1778;  who  was  the  son  of 

Robert  Silliman 

deceased  A.  D.  17 18,  and  grandson  of 

Daniel   Silliman   deceased   A.    D.    1600, 

All  of  Fairfield. 

Their  children  add  this  to  the 

record  of  their  ancestors  A.  D.   1877 


26 

Mrs.  Kate  E.  Perry,  in  her  book  entitled  "  The  Old  Burying 
Ground  of  Fairfield,"  performed  a  most  onerous  and  noteworthy 
task,  contributing  valuable  material  to  the  literature  which  deals 
with  life  in  the  town.  Patriotic  ladies  have  reared  the  substan- 
tial walls  which  frame  the  grounds,  and  given  very  generously 
toward  the  adornment  and  preservation  of  the  place.  In  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  yard  the  observer  finds  the  massive  brown- 
stone  slabs,  supported  by  heavy  pillars,  covering  the  graves  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Dennie,  Eunice  Dennie  became  the  wife  of 
Thaddeus  Burr,  the  grandson  of  Chief  Justice  Burr.  A  member 
of  the  Town  Committee  on  War,  Deputy  of  the  General  Court, 
High  Sheriff,  one  of  the  Governor's  Council,  a  gentleman  of 
large  fortune  and  generous  nature,  Thaddeus  Burr  was  a  con- 
spicuous figure  in  the  life  of  the  colony  and  state.  The  friend  of 
New  England's  leading  statesmen  and  financiers,  he  practiced  a 
princely  hospitality. 

His  accomplished  wife,  in  whose  honor  the  Fairfield  Chapter 
of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  is  named,  was  a 
lady  of  rare  merits  and  attractions.  Her  courage  and  fidelity  are 
illustrated  by  numerous  incidents.  When  the  town  was  burned 
she  sought  to  save  their  mansion,  which  was  filled  with  treasures 
and  associated  with  many  delightful  memories.  She  tells  the 
story.  "When  the  rabble  surged  into  the  house  they  shouted 
'You  damned  rebel,  where  is  your  husband  ? '  at  the  same  time 
stripping  me  of  my  buckles,  tearing  down  the  curtains  of  my 
bed,  breaking  the  frame  of  my  dressing- glass,  pulling  out  the 
drawers  of  my  table  and  desk.  .  .  In  the  midst  of  this  confu- 
sion Gen.  Tryon  came  into  the  house.  He  behaved  with  polite- 
ness ;  he  demanded  the  papers.  I  told  him  there  was  none  but 
of  very  old  dates  which  related  to  the  estates.  The  general  said 
those  are  what  we  want,  for  we  intend  to  have  the  estates.  .  . 
Very  soon  after  he  had  taken  leave  of  me  there  came  in  a  set 
more  dreadful  than  the  ruffians  who  had  first  attacked  me.  These 
being  informed  or  suspicious  that  I  was  possessed  of  a  watch, 
attempted  to  search  me.  I  drew  back  to  the  yard,  the  only 
shelter  that  I  had,  and  there  committed  myself  to  God.  .  . 
They  were,  however,  permitted  to  pursue  me,  throw  me  on  the 


Ward  Monument 


27 

ground  and  search  me,  pulling  and  tearing  my  clothes  from  me 
in  a  most  barbarous  manner.  .  ."  After  a  spirited  and  well- 
sustained  defence,  Mrs.  Burr  was  finally  driven  into  her  mead- 
ows, where  the  grief-stricken  woman  saw  the  mansion  fired  by 
ruthless  hands  and  burned  with  its  precious  heirlooms  to  the 
ground. 

Another  grave,  which  has  special  interest — lying  near  to  those 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burr,  is  that  of  Mrs.  Hall,  the  grand-daughter 
of  Judge  Peter  Burr.     The  inscription  reads  as  follows  : 

*'  Here  lies  buried  the  Body  of 

Mrs.  Abigail  Hall, 

wife  of  Lyman  Hall,  M.  A., 

Daughter  of  Thaddeus  Burr,  Esq., 

Died  July  8th,  1753,  aged  24  years. 

Modest,  yet  free,  with  innocence  adorned; 

To  please  and  win  by  Art  and  Nature  formed; 

Benevolent  and  wise,  in  Virtue  firm; 

Constant  in  Friendship,  in  Religion  warm; 

A  partner  tender,  unaffected,  kind; 

A  lovely  Form,  with  a  more  lovely  mind — 

The  scene  of  Life,  tho'  short  sh'  improved  so  well. 

No  charms  in  human  forms  could  more  excel; 

Christ's  Life  her  copy,  His  pure  Law  her  Guide: 

Each  part  She  acted,  perfected,  and  dy'd." 

Lyman  Hall,  the  husband  of  this  honored  young  woman,  be- 
came a  citizen  of  Georgia,  was  one  of  the  Signers  of  the  Decla- 
ration of  Independence,  and  served  as  Governor  of  his  adopted 
state. 

THE  EAST  CEMETERY. 

A  new  cemetery  was  needed  earl}^  in  the  nineteenth  century. 
The  honored  Town  Clerk,  Mr.  Samuel  Rowland,  and  a  few  of 
his  contemporaries,  purchased  the  land  where  the  cemetery  was 
established  in  the  year  1827.  An  iron  railing  was  placed  around 
one  of  the  lots,  and  curious  people  came  long  distances  to  see 
this  interesting  innovation. 


28 

The  new  stone  wall,  the  gate,  the  substantial  fence,  the  mac- 
adam roads  and  the  well-trimmed  lawn  are  evidences  of  the 
faithful  services  rendered  the  public  by  two  of  our  esteemed 
citizens. 

OAKLAWN  CEMETERY. 

This  beautiful  resting-place  lies  between  Fairfield  village  and 
Greenfield  Hill.  A  venerable  oak — one  of  the  most  ancient  in 
the  country — stands  facing  the  entrance.  A  rolling  landscape,  a 
gurgling  brook,  wooded  retreats  and  the  quiet  waters  of  the  bor- 
dering Mill  River,  suggest  sweet  repose.  The  Association  was 
organized  December  29th,  1865. 

THE  BENSON  TAVERN. 

This  old  hostelry  is  now^  a  private  house.  It  was  built  imme- 
diately after  the  close  of  the  war  of  the  American  Revolution 
and  occupied  by  General  Abel.  Captain  Benson  converted  it 
into  a  place  of  public  entertainment  and  for  many  years  it  was  a 
favorite  resort  of  travellers,  statesmen,  scholars,  actors  and  the 
people  who  passed  back  and  forth  between  Boston  and  New 
York  on  horseback  or  in  stagecoach.  Col.  Aaron  Burr,  Daniel 
Webster,  General  Jackson,  the  elder  Booth,  Macready  and  many 
famous  men  were  guests  of  the  house.  Captain  Benson's  daugh- 
ter, the  present  occupant  of  the  homestead,  has  in  her  possession 
various  relics  and  heirlooms  of  value.  One  of  the  old  chairs  is 
known  as  Peter  Parley's  chair,  his  favorite  when  enjoying  the 
hospitality  of  ' '  mine  host ' ' . 

THE  POWDER  HOUSE. 

The  little  brick  structure  on  the  elevation  above  the  railroad 
northwest  of  the  station  served  the  public  as  a  place  of  deposit 
for  their  powder  during  the  war  of  18 12.  The  building  has 
been  put  in  order  by  the  Eunice  Dennie  Burr  Chapter  of 
the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and  appropriately 
marked. 


4 
1 


^i^J^.  i 


WSI^^^t 


B"^ 


;  w.  ^ 


The  Powder  House 


29 

THE  RAIIvROAD  AND  TROLI.EY. 

It  made  considerable  change  in  the  geography  of  the  town 
when  in  1853  the  New  Haven  Railroad  cut  in  twain  various 
properties  and  divided  the  shore  levels  from  the  neighboring 
hills. 

The  change  in  certain  town  features  was  not  less  marked  in 
1894  when  the  trolley  invaded  the  main  street  and  con- 
tributed its  unwelcome  noise  and  careless  disfigurement  to  this 
charming,  famous,  elm-arched,  historic  avenue. 

BLACK  ROCK  HARBOR. 

Two  harbours  have  served  the  commercial  interests  of  Fairfield 
— Black  Rock  on  the  southeastern  edge  of  the  town  and  South- 
port  on  the  southwestern.  Black  Rock  is  now  included  within 
the  corporation  of  Bridgeport.  During  a  period  of  more  than 
two  hundred  years,  however,  it  was  a  part  of  Fairfield.  Here 
trade  flourished  and  war  blazed  defiance.  The  little  fort  on 
Grover's  Hill  afforded  an  uncertain  sense  of  security  on  various 
occasions.  The  quiet  waters  behind  Fayerweather's  Island  in- 
vited ships  to  safe  anchorage.  The  collector  of  the  Port  of  Fair- 
field here  exercised  authority.  Captains  of  commerce  made 
their  homes  in  this  neighborhood.  Fishermen,  warriors,  mar- 
iners, pleasure-seekers,  builders  of  maritime  industry  have  shared 
the  life  of  the  Port. 

During  the  American  Revolution  this  harbour  was  the  scene  of 
noteworthy  activity.  Colonel  Parsons  sailed  from  Black  Rock 
on  the  evening  of  August  14th,  1777,  with  a  sloop  and  six  sail- 
boats, one  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  a  brass  six-pounder  in 
order  to  dislodge  Colonel  Hewlett  who  had  fortified  Bookhaven 
on  Long  Island. 

Black  Rock  was  a  convenient  place  for  the  men  engaged  in 
whale  boat  warfare.  Captain  Caleb  Brewster,  one  of  the  heroes 
who  won  enviable  fame  by  his  victories  over  British  craft  along 
these  shores,  made  Black  Rock  his  home.  Many  an  expedition 
against  the  enemy  did  he  organize  among  his  sailor  friends.     In 


30 

lySi  he  brought  into  the  harbour  a  British  armed  boat  and  all  her 
crew.  It  was  on  Dec.  yth,  1782,  that  his  most  desperate  encour- 
ter  with  the  enemy  occurred.  This  was  known  as  the  "boat 
fight".  On  this  particular  morning  several  of  the  enemy's 
boats  came  down  the  Sound  and  Captain  Brewster  with  his  brave 
comrades  intercepted  them.  It  was  a  savage  fight — a  hand  to 
hand  conflict — for  in  twenty  minutes  nearly  all  the  men  engaged 
were  either  killed  or  wounded.  Two  boats  were  captured.  Cap- 
tain Brewster  was  among  the  injured.  He  was  able,  however, 
to  continue  his  work  a  few  months  later.  On  March  9th,  1783, 
he  captured  the  Fox,  one  of  the  enemy's  vessels.  The  Fairfield 
Historical  Society  has  among  its  treasures  an  elegant  silver  lov- 
ing cup  presented  to  Captain  Brewster  by  admiring  friends  as  an 
expression  of  their  esteem. 

THE  BEACH, 

Fairfield  beach  is  one  of  the  safest  and  most  attractive  along 
the  shores  of  the  Sound.  To  the  East  lies  Black  Rock  Harbour, 
a  favorite  rendezvous  for  the  fleet  of  whale  boats  during  the 
American  Revolution — a  pleasant  haven  for  fleets  of  various  3^acht 
clubs  and  diverse  shipping  to-day. 

Grover's  Hill  projects  itself  boldly  into  the  sea  on  the  west  of 
the  harbour.  Here  the  Continental  troops  built  their  fort  and 
kept  guard  as  best  they  could  over  this  long  line  of  exposed  and 
imperiled  coast.  Fort  Union,  which  frowned  on  the  height  dur- 
ing the  war  of  181 2,  gave  a  feeling  of  hope  and  courage  to  the 
citizens  of  the  town. 

This  emerald  hill  is  now  a  beautiful  private  park,  containing 
several  of  the  most  elegant  and  expensive  country  residences  in 
Connecticut.  The  views  from  Schoonhoven  Park  are  superb, 
land  and  sea  merging  into  a  shifting  panorama  of  beautiful  and 
fascinating  pictures. 

Ash  Creek  lies  on  the  west  of  the  hill,  pushing  back  into  the 
country  a  mile  or  two.  In  the  pioneer  days  there  were  tide  mills 
here,  the  first  one  being  erected  a  considerable  distance  up  the 
inlet.     It  was  through   Ash  Creek   that  the   British  soldiers  ran 


Fairfield  Beach 
Grover's  Hill  in  the  distance 


31 

their  boat  on  the  night  when  they  captured  General  Silliman. 

Leaving  the  swift  flowing  current  of  the  out-going  tide,  the 
observer  wanders  down  the  beach  until  he  comes  to  the  bathing 
pavilions  which  have  been  erected  by  this  generation  of  pleasure 
seekers.  Here  there  are  ample  opportunities  and  facilities  for 
the  enjoyment  of  a  swim  in  the  sea. 

Two  settlements  of  cottages  have  been  formed  within  the  past 
ten  years  along  this  shore,  where  several  hundred  visitors  spend 
delightful  summers. 

THE   MARSHES. 

One  of  the  charming  features  of  the  landscape  which  frames 
the  village  of  Fairfield  is  the  sinuous  stretch  of  marshes  on  the 
east  and  south,  close  under  the  sand  rifts,  that  make  a  low  barri- 
cade for  resisting  encroachments  of  the  sea.  Pine  Creek  and 
Ash  Creek  and  other  tortuous  inlets  cut  their  fitful  way  through 
these  low-lying  meadows.  The  wealth  of  varied  grasses,  the 
occasional  masses  of  short  shrubbery  and  myriads  of  beautiful 
wild  flowers  mingle  with  the  frequent  glint  of  ebbing  or  flowing 
tide.  Birds  nest  in  the  quiet  places  or  sing  exquisite  melodies 
which  float  carelessly  over  the  strange  expanse.  The  winds  play 
with  the  graceful,  swaying  tufts  and  plumes.  Wild  fowl  fly  low 
here,  and  make  a  trysting  place.  A  wonderful,  prolific  life 
flourishes  in  these  marshes. 

''  How  ample  the  marsh  and  the  sea  and  the  sky," 
"A  league  and  a  league  of  marsh  grass,  waist-high,  broad  in  the 

blade," 
''Green,  and  all  of  a  height,  and  unflecked  with  a  light  or  a 

shade," 
"Stretch  leisurely  off,  in  a  pleasant  plain," 
''To  the  terminal  blue  of  the  main." 

PENFIELD  REEF. 

This  natural  breakw^ater  pushes  into  the  Sound  a  distance  of 
two  miles  or  more  from  the  bend  of  the  beach  midway  between 
Grover's   Hill  and   the  Southport  harbour.     A  considerable  por- 


tion  of  the  ancient  meadow  land  has  become  submerged  since  the 
days  when  little  Benjamin  Silliman  ran  away  from  his  teacher, 
and  in  company  with  other  truants  came  near  losing  his  life  by 
reason  of  the  rising  tide,  which  cut  them  off  from  the  shore. 
This  narrow,  rocky  reef — a  favorite  resort  of  the  clam — haunted 
by  Indians  and  pioneers,  each  in  their  day — has  been  the  scene 
of  various  wrecks,  catastrophes,  perils  and  deaths.  The  light- 
house near  the  extreme  end  now  warns  ships  when  they  approach 
the  treacherous  ledges.  In  wild  storms  the  Penfield  Reef  Light 
is  sometimes  almost  submerged  by  the  force  of  the  waves,  and  the 
keeper  has  been  a  prisoner  in  the  place  through  many  anxious, 
distressful  nights. 

SOUTHPORT  HARBOR. 

Southport  Harbour,  on  the  southwestern  edge  of  the  town, 
vSasco  Hill  and  Rose  Hill  watchful  over  its  placid  waters,  has 
been  for  generations  the  favored  centre  of  large  and  important 
local  business  interests.  Its  fleets  have  engaged  in  lively  com- 
merce with  Boston,  New  York  and  the  various  ports  of  this  coun- 
try and  other  countries.  Regular  lines  of  communication  be- 
tween Southport  and  several  shore  cities  flourished  for  years. 
A  lucrative  commerce  and  many  influential  men  of  affairs  gave 
great  prominence  to  this  part  of  the  town.  Our  local  banks  are 
situated  here.  The  large  proportion  of  trade  and  business  in  the 
town  gravitated  naturally  to  Southport  after  the  burning  of 
Fairfield  in  1779.  Homes  of  wealth  and  culture  have  character- 
ized the  place  during  these  years.  It  is  the  most  thickly  settled 
portion  of  the  town — much  has  been  done  to  adorn  and  beautify 
the  streets — many  handsome  private  residences  impart  an  air  of 
dignity  and  repose. 

The  sloop  which  brought  Colonel  Aaron  Burr  from  Boston  to 
New  York  on  his  return  from  Europe  in  181 2  lingered  two  days 
in  Southport  harbour.  It  was  commanded  by  Captain  Dimon, 
and  there  were  other  Fairfield  men  on  board — distant  relatives 
of  the  ex- Vice- President. 

It  was  off  the  shore  of  Norwalk   Light  that  the  ill-fated  Lex- 


SouTHPORT  Harbor 

A   VIEW   FROM   THE   I.AWN   OF   MR.  W.  H.  PERRY 


33 

ington  was  burned  in  January,  1840.  The  citizens  of  vSouthport 
rallied  and  attempted  to  save  the  perishing  sufferers,  but  swift 
havoc  of  fire  did  not  wait  upon  any  merciful  tender  of  help. 
The  sloop  Merchant,  owned  by  Sherwood  &  Meeker,  went  to  the 
rescue,  but  only  three  men  were  saved. 

Numerous  bands  of  Tories  from  Long  Island  committed  vexa- 
tious or  cruel  depredations  along  these  shores  during  the  war 
of  the  American  Revolution.  Captain  Amos  Perry,  one  June 
evening,  sailed  from  Southport  harbor  in  his  sloop  "Racer," 
with  the  purpose  of  punishing  one  of  these  bands  which  had  been 
specially  active  in  the  neighborhood.  The  following  morning  the 
'  *  Racer' '  appeared  among  the  enemy — apparently  driven  by  force 
of  the  night's  storm  into  their  borders.  A  Tory  sloop,  observing 
the  difficulties  of  the  "Racer,"  saluted  Captain  Perry  and  pro- 
ceeded to  board  the  Connecticut  vessel.  When  the  opportune 
moment  came,  Captain  Perr}^  stamped  his  foot,  a  goodl}^  number 
of  men  concealed  in  the  cabin  suddenly  swarmed  upon  deck, 
there  was  a  brief  hand-to-hand  struggle,  and  the  Tory  sloop,  with 
its  crew  and  munitions,  became  the  reward  of  the  Americans' 
daring. 

During  the  war  of  18 12  a  volunteer  military  company  was 
organized  in  Southport,  and  "  Fort  Defence"  was  built  near  the 
place  now  known  as  the  lower  wharf. 

Four  ship  yards  have  flourished  here  at  different  periods. 
Mill  River,  the  name  given  to  the  settlement  on  the  harbour, 
was  exchanged  for  Southport,  and  a  charter  granted  to  the  Bor- 
ough in  1 85 1. 

THE  BURNING  OF  FAIRFIELD  IN  1779. 

Fairfield  was  a  special  object  of  hatred  to  the  British,  for  it 
was  the  home  of  Gen.  Silliman  and  a  goodly  number  of  patriots, 
soldiers  and  statesmen.  It  had  furnished  men,  supplies  and  in- 
spiration with  unstinted  generosity.  It  w^as  a  center  of  whale- 
boat  warfare  for  the  coast.  It  had  treated  Tories  with  a  degree 
of  severity.  It  was  playing  an  important  and  conspicuous  part 
in  the  struggle  for  Independence. 


34 

Tryon  and  the  fleet  arrived  off  shore  the  morning  of  July  7th. 
A  landing  in  two  divisions  was  made  in  the  afternoon — one  divi- 
sion coming  over  Sasco  Hill,  the  other  up  Beach  Lane.  The 
militia  on  the  Green  and  the  little  garrison  under  Lieut.  Jarvis 
in  the  fort  on  Grover's  Hill  fired  on  the  invaders.  There  was  a 
babel  of  noises — march  of  troops,  shrill  cries  of  frightened  chil- 
dren, wild  shouts  of  men,  the  crack-crack  of  muskets,  booming 
of  cannon  from  the  fort,  hoarse  notes  of  defiance,  and  finally  a 
hand-to-hand  fight  for  the  possession  of  the  Green.  The  British 
numbers  and  discipline  pushed  the  small  American  troop  back 
into  the  hill  countr}',  and  night  settled  down  upon  the  scene. 

But  the  village  had  been  condemned,  and  the  torch  w^as  ap- 
plied in  various  places.  Dr.  Dwight  writes  a  graphic  account  of 
the  conflagration  in  the  third  volume  of  his  travels.  Rev. 
Andrew  Eliot,  an  eye-witness,  describes  the  event  in  a  letter  to 
his  brother:  "About  an  hour  before  sunset  the  conflagration 
began  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Isaac  Jennings.  .  .  At  sunrise 
some  considerable  part  of  the  town  was  standing,  but  in  about 
two  hours  the  flames  became  general.  The  burning  parties  car- 
ried on  their  business  with  horrible  alacrity  .  .  all  the  town 
from  the  bridge  by  Col.  Gold's  to  Mill  River,  a  few  houses  ex- 
cepted, was  a  heap  of  ruins." 

"  Oh,  the  horrors  of  that  dreadful  night,"  writes  Mary  Silli- 
man  in  her  journal.  "The  sky,"  says  Dr.  Dwight,  "was  speed- 
ily hung  with  the  deepest  darkness  wherever  the  clouds  were 
not  tinged  by  the  melancholy  lustre  of  the  flames.  .  .  At  in- 
tervals the  lightnings  blazed  with  a  livid  and  terrible  splendor. 
The  thunder  rolled  above.  Beneath,  the  roaring  of  the  fires 
filled  up  the  intervals  with  a  deep  and  hollow  sound,  which 
seemed  to  be  the  protracted  murmur  of  the  thunder,  reverber- 
ated from  one  end  of  the  heaven  to  another.  Add  to  this  con- 
vulsion of  the  elements,  and  these  dreadful  effects  of  vindictive 
and  wanton  devastation,  the  trembling  of  the  earth,  the  sharp 
sound  of  musketry  occasionally  discharged,  the  groans  here  and 
there  of  the  wounded  and  dying,  and  the  shouts  of  triumj  h ; 
then  place   before   your   eyes    crowds    of    miserable    sufferers, 


m-:y.^ 

1  '     ^^'^Vi^V^^s^ 

j| 

Beach  Lane,  up  which  the  British  marched  in  1779 


35 

mingled  with  bodies  of  the  militia.     .     .     .     and    yon  will  form 
a  jnst  but  imperfect  picture  of  the  burning  of  Fairfield." 

"The  distress  of  this   poor  people   is   inexpressible,"  said  Mr. 
Eliot  in  giving  his  account  of  the  calamity.      '*I  feel   myself  in  a 
state  of  uncertainty  as  to  the  many  necessities  of  life." 
"Could  Tryon  hope  to  quench  the  patriot  flame," 
"Or  make  his  deeds  survive  in  glory's  page?" 
"Could  Britons  seek  of  savages  the  same," 
"Or  deem  it  conquest,  thus  the  war  to  wage?" 
More  than  two  hundred  and  eighteen  buildings  were  destroyed 
by  the  flames. 

WASHINGTON  IN  FAIRFIELD. 

Washington  passed  through  Fairfield  when  he  was  a  British 
officer  twenty-four  years  old.  Irving  has  drawn  a  picture  of  him 
at  this  period.  He  was  en  route  for  Boston.  Nineteen  years 
later  he  was  made  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Continental  forces 
and  came  this  way  a  second  time  en  route  for  Boston.  He  arrived 
at  Fairfield  June  28th,  1775.  where  dinner  was  served  to  his 
company.  Dr.  Ripley  of  Greens  Farms  accompanied  him  through 
the  parish.  Washington  returned  this  way  after  the  campaign 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  arriving  at  Fairfield  April  12th, 

President  Washington  visited  the  town  again  when  he  made 
his  famous  tour  of  the  eastern  states  in  1789,  reaching  Fairfield 
on  Friday  the  i6th  of  October.  His  journal  refers  to  the  appear- 
ance of  desolation  which  testified  to  the  recent  scourge  of  war. 
' '  The  destructive  evidences  of  British  cruelty  are  yet  visible  in 
Norwalk  and  Fairfield,"  he  wrote,  "as  there  are  the  chimneys 
of  many  burnt  houses  standing  in  them  yet." 

THE  SUN  TAVERN. 

Washington  w^as  entertained  at  this  interesting  hostelry  on 
his  last  visit  to  the  town.  The  Sun  Tavern,  kept  by  Mr.  Pen- 
field,  stood  on  the  south  edge  of  the  Green.  Here  the  citizens 
gathered  to  do  honor  to  the  President.     He  spent  the  night  in 


36 

this  place  and  pursued  his  journe}'  to  New  Haven  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

In  1818  the  property  passed  to  Dr.  Nathaniel  Hewit,  pastor  of 
the  Congregational  Church,  who  later  became  the  great  temper- 
ance apostle  of  his  day.  Dr.  Hewit  married  Rebecca  Hillhouse, 
the  daughter  of  Hon.  James  Hillhouse,  United  States  Senator 
from  Connecticut.  Augustus  Hewit  was  born  in  this  house. 
This  son  of  such  distinguished  ancestry  entered  the  priesthood  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  became  an  eminent  preacher 
and  scholar — one  of  the  Paulist  fathers  and  professor  of  Church 
History  in  the  Catholic  University  at  Washington,  D.  C.  He 
was  sometimes  called  the  * '  Newman  of  America ' ' . 

Dr.  Lyman  At  water  occupied  the  transformed  "  Sun  Tavern  " 
for  some  years.  Later  it  passed  through  several  hands  and 
finally  became  the  property  of  Mr.  Robert  S.  Manuel.  A  pri- 
vate school  flourished  during  a  brief  period  in  the  place.  There 
is  an  air  of  repose  and  old  time  dignity  clinging  to  the  property 
to-day  so  that  it  is  one  of  the  attractive  landmarks  of  our  town. 

THE  NAMES  OF  DISTINCxUISHED   CITIZENS. 

The  leadership  and  services  of  many  eminent  individuals  have 
been  identified  with  the  history  of  the  town.  Ludlow  the 
"Father  of  Connecticut  Jurisprudence  and  founder  of  the  town" 
seems  to  have  transmitted  much  of  his  intellectual  force  to  the 
interesting  succession  of  public  men.  The  Burrs  and  the  Goulds 
have  been  conspicuous  through  the  various  generations.  Major 
Gold  and  his  son  Lieutenant-Governor  Gold  labored  tirelessly 
for  the  benefit  of  town  and  colony.  Chief  Justice  Burr  held  a 
variety  of  offices  and  conducted  himself  with  such  wisdom  and 
acceptability  that  his  name  stands  high  among  New  England's 
worthies.  Judge  Ebenezer  Silliman  was  another  faithful  servant 
on  the  bench.  Soldiership  was  adorned  by  numerous  brave  and 
splendid  sons  of  Fairfield,  conspicuous  among  them  being  Col. 
Andrew  Burr  of  Louisberg  fame,  General  Silliman,  Col.  Gould, 
Col.   Dimon,   Captain    Bart  ram,    Commander   Samuel   Smedley, 


The  Sun  Tavern 


37 

Captain  Thorp,  Captain  Caleb  Brewster  and  a  large  company  of 
kindred  spirits. 

The  five  men  who  served  as  ministers  for  life  in  the  Prime 
Ancient  Society  w^ere  scholars  of  excellent  parts  and  most  active 
in  town  and  colonial  and  state  affairs.  Aaron  Burr  the  Presi- 
dent of  Princeton  College  was  born  in  this  town  and  spent  his 
early  years  amon^  its  beautiful  hills.  Dr.  Caner  first  rector  of 
Trinity  Church,  honored  b}^  Oxford  University  with  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  one  of  the  most  eminent  ministers  serving 
the  Church  of  England  in  the  Colonies  during  his  generation, 
gave  twenty  years  of  his  life  to  this  region. 

What  sturdy,  invincible  and  efficient  champions  of  liberty 
were  Thaddeus  Burr  and  Jonathan  Sturges — the  first  holding 
office  as  High  Sheriff  and  member  of  the  Governor's  War  Coun- 
cil, the  second  serving  as  member  of  the  War  Committee,  secre- 
tary of  the  Connecticut  Sons  of  Liberty,  member  of  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention,  member  of  Congress  and  Judge  of  the 
Superior  Court.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Sherwood  wrought  so 
faithfully  in  behalf  of  the  colonies  that  a  guard  of  Continental 
soldiers  was  for  a  time  given  him  to  protect  his  person.  He 
lived  near  the  border  line  between  the  old  parish  of  Redding, 
the  hotbed  of  Toryism.  His  son  Samuel  Burr  Sherwood  became 
one  of  the  leading  jurists  of  Connecticut  and  represented  this 
district  in  Congress.  Morris  K.  Jesup,  merchant,  banker,  edu- 
cator and  philanthropist,  grandson  of  Judge  Sherwood,  was  born 
in  the  western  part  of  the  old  Fairfield  parish  (now  Westport) . 
Dr.  Bronson  surgeon  in  the  American  Army  during  the  War  of 
Independence,  a  friend  of  Washington,  later  a  prosperous 
banker  and  financier,  made  his  home  on  Greenfield  Hill,  where 
his  descendants  have  continued  to  reside.  On  this  famous  hill 
Dr.  Timothy  Dwight  established  his  popular  school  to  which 
pupils  w^ere  drawn  from  many  parts  of  the  United  States.  While 
preaching  and  teaching  in  this  place  he  was  called  to  the  presi- 
dency of  Yale  College.  This  hill  was  likewise  the  home  of 
Governor  Tomlinson  who  loyally  served  town  and  state  and  na- 
tion in  various  public  offices,  this  service  culminating  in  his 
election  to  the  United  States  Senate. 


38 

Judge  Hobart  son  of  Rev.  Noah  Hobart  was  another  Fairfield 
man  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  It  was  as  a  citizen  of 
New  York  where  he  had  practiced  law  for  many  years  that  he 
was  chosen  to  this  exalted  position;  but  preferring  the  career  of 
a  judge  he  declined  his  senatorial  honors  and  served  in  the  sphere 
more  congenial  to  his  taste.  The  Hon.  Lewis  Burr  Sturges  repre- 
sented this  district  in  Congress  for  several  terms.  Judge  Thomas 
B.  Osborne  who  frequently  represented  the  town  in  our  state 
legislature,  sat  for  two  terms  as  a  member  of  Congress,  served  as 
county  judge  and  afterw^ards  became  Professor  of  Law  in  Yale 
College.  Hon.  O.  S.  Ferry  spent  pleasant  years  in  Fairfield, 
and  when  he  attained  distinction  as  a  lawyer,  member  of  Con- 
gress and  United  States  Senator  recalled  his  early  days  here  with 
peculiar  delight. 

Judge  Roger  M.  Sherman  was  undoubtedly  the  most  eminent 
and  conspicuous  citizen  of  the  town  belonging  to  the  later  gen- 
erations. A  modest  and  reserv^ed  person,  he  preferred  the  quiet 
of  his  study  and  the  society  of  his  cultivated  neighbors  rather 
than  the  publicity  of  leadership  and  the  burdens  of  official  posi- 
tion. Senator  Hoar  has  described  him  as  one  of  the  greatest 
men  of  New  England,  the  peer  of  Webster  and  Mason.  Although 
averse  to  public  office,  he  gave  himself  to  such  labor  as  his  con- 
stituents put  upon  him — going  repeatedly  to  the  Assembly  and 
vState  Senate,  and  serving  later  as  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  state.  He  was  earnestly  supported  by  friends  as  a  candi- 
date for  United  States  Senator,  to  which  position  he  would 
probably  have  been  elected  had  he  been  willing  to  yield  certain 
points.  A  member  at  the  Hartford  Convention  in  1814  and  one 
of  the  committee  to  draw  up  a  report  to  be  presented 
to  the  respective  State  Legislatures  he  declared  on  oath 
that  "  Its  principal  object  was  a  more  effectual  co-operation  in 
the  war  as  to  the  defence  of  the  New  England  states.  There  is 
not  the  slightest  foundation  for  impunging  the  motives  of  these 
men,  or  stamping  the  proceedings  of  the  convention  as  treasona- 
ble. The  delegates  never  contemplated  an  act  inconsistent  with 
their  obligations  to  the  United  States. ' ' 


Sherman  Parsonage 


39 

Several  of  the  clergymen  settled  in  the  town  during  the  nine- 
teenth century  attained  national  distinction  as  preachers,  authors, 
educators  and  men  of  affairs. 

The  Hon.  Oliver  H.  Perry  was  for  years  one  of  the  most 
influential  men  of  the  state,  serving  as  Representative,  Senator, 
Secretary  of  State,  and  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
of  Connecticut,  tn  which  order  of  public  service  he  has  been  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son  Hon.  John  H.  Perry,  a  member  of  the  House 
of  Representatives,  Speaker,  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  and  First  Vice  President  of  the  Constitutional  Convention 
of  1902. 

The  present  member  of  Congress  from  this  district,  Hon.  E.  J. 
Hill,  comes  of  Fairfield  ancestors,  several  of  his  forefathers 
being  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  town.  This  strong  tie  of 
pioneer  ancestry  links  to  the  town  many  great  names,  for  the  old 
families  sent  their  children  into  all  states  and  territories  multi- 
plying the  names  of  Hill,  Burr,  Cable,  Banks,  Gray,  Jennings, 
Barlow,  Dickinson,  Frost,  Green,  Jesup,  Hoyt,  Morehouse, 
Hawkins,  Newton,  Pinkney,  Nichols,  Sherwood,  Taintor, 
Staples,  Wilson,  Bennett,  Jones,  Bulkley,  Wheeler,  Lockwood, 
Turney,  Johnson,  Perry,  Adams,  Andrews,  Baldwin,  Coley, 
Dimon,  Goodwin,  Drake,  Ford,  Hall,  Allen,  Hull,  Knapp,  Hide, 
Beardsley,  Osborn,  Rowland,  Seeley,  Smith,  Beers,  Churchill, 
Mayo,  Clapham,  Nettleton,  Palmer,  Sturges,  Pell,  White,  Bar- 
num.  Meeker,  Bradley,  Hubbell,  James,  Norton,  Wakeman,  Sil- 
liman,  Ogden,  Read,  Robinson,  Sanford,  Rumsey,  Ta3'lor  and 
other  familiar  names. 

The  forceful  personality  of  Judge  Jonathan  Sturges  has  re- 
appeared in  several  eminent  descendants  who  have  attained 
wide  distinction  as  successful  men  of  affairs,  scholars,  writers 
and  public  servants.  A  grandson  bearing  the  same  name  be- 
came one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  the  last  century  in  New 
York,  a  generous  patron  of  art,  a  builder  and  manager  of  rail- 
roads, (President  of  the  Illinois  Central  R.  R.)  and  a  large 
benefactor  to  churches,  missionary  societies,  hospitals  and  other 
important  institutions.     This  tradition  of  splendid  service  has 


40 

been  passed  down  to  members  of  the  present  generation  who 
continue  to  adorn  the  town  and  enrich  both  country  and  city 
with  innumerable  benafactions. 

Mr.  Joseph  E.  Sheffield,  for  whom  the  Scientific  School  of 
Yale  University  is  named,  was  born  in  this  town.  A  prosperous 
merchant,  one  of  the  men  concerned  in  the  organization  of  the 
New  York  and  New  Haven  Railroad  and  the  Rock  Island  and 
Chicago  road,  he  amassed  a  large  fortune,  giving  to  Yale  College 
and  other  institutions  more  than  Ji, 000,000. 

Thomas  F.  Rowland  who  built  the  celebrated  Monitor — the 
boat  which  changed  the  destiny  of  a  nation — was  a  son  of  Fair- 
field ancestors  and  spent  many  days  as  a  youth  in  this  place. 

The  name  Marquand  has  been  associated  with  the  town 
since  the  first  Henry  settled  in  the  homestead  on  land  now  own- 
ed by  the  Memorial  Library.  This  was  in  1768.  The  name  to- 
day is  widely  honored  as  one  suggestive  of  splendid  generosity 
and  devotion  to  education.  Frederick  Marquand  was  a  native 
of  Fairfield  and  like  so  many  other  energetic  sons  of  the  town 
became  a  New  York  business  man.  A  portion  of  the  wealth 
which  he  gathered  by  a  successful  career  was  giv^en  into  charge 
of  Mrs.  Elbert  B.  Munroe  of  Southport,  Mr.  Henry  C.  Mar- 
quand, Mrs.  Alanson  Trask  of  New  York  and  Mr.  D.  C.  McWil- 
Hams  of  Brooklyn.  This  property — managed  with  great  wis- 
dom and  fidelity  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  between  three 
and  four  millions  of  dollars  have  been  distributed  by  them  to 
schools,  libraries,  seminaries,  colleges.  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations,  Churches  and  other  important  institutions.  Henry 
C.  Marquand  the  brother  became  a  munificent  patron  of  art, 
serving  as  President  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art — a  posi- 
tion which  he  filled  to  such  purpose  that  he  put  the  whole 
country  under  obligations.  In  this  connection  it  is  pleasant  to 
note  that  his  successor  in  the  place,  Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  had 
intimate  relations  with  Fairfield  early  in  life  and  married  a  lady 
whose  summer  home  was  in  this  place  and  whose  ancestors  were 
for  many  generations  identified  with  the  history  of  town  and  col- 
ony. And  it  is  also  worthy  of  note  that  the  late  President  of 
the  Metropolitan    Museum   of   Natural   History    and   one  of  its 


Arching  Elms 


41 

greatest  benefactors  was  born  in  the  western  part  of  old  Fairfield 
parish  and  that  his  successor  as  President — Professor  Henr}- 
Fairfield  Osborn,  is  likewise  a  native  of  this  town. 

A  large  number  of  prosperous  and  enterprising  men  have  been 
contributed  to  the  world  by  Fairfield.  For  generations  it  was  a 
town  well  known  for  its  adventurous  sea  captains — their  ships 
sailing  to  all  ports — their  trade  a  large  factor  in  the  life  of  New- 
England.  How  familiar  are  the  names  repeated  many  times  in 
various  generations — Captain  Bartram,  Captain  Jennings,  Cap- 
tain Burr,  Captain  Wakeman,  Captain  Sherwood.  Many  of 
these  men  retired  with  a  competency  or  with  wealth  and  spent 
their  last  days  in  old  homesteads  which  were  filled  with  treasures 
gathered  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth.  And  the  town 
has  been  rich  in  men  who  shared  the  characteristic  active  im- 
pulse of  the  typical  tradesman  and  manufacturer — men  like  O. 
W.  Jones  and  Henry  Rowland  whose  names  are  associated  with 
the  flouring  mills  in  New  York,  and  John  Sanford,  one  of  the 
leading  industrial  masters  of  his  day,  whose  sole  living  descend- 
ant, J.  Sanford  Saltus,  of  New  York,  has  testified  his  affection 
for  the  town  by  various  benefactions. 

Mr.  Henry  Dexter,  a  generous  friend  and  member  of  the  New 
York  Historical  Society,  contributed  the  new  hall  in  honor  and 
memory  of  his  sou,  Orrando  Perry,  a  descendant  of  an  esteemed 
Fairfield  family.  The  organizer  and  builder  of  the  American 
News  Company,  Mr.  Dexter  has  manifested  special  interest  in 
the  perpetuation  of  local  history,  sharing  the  upbuilding  of  the 
Fairfield  Historical  Society,  and  enriching  it  with  numerous  and 
valuable  gifts. 

A  VILLAGE  OF  PLEASANT  HOMES. 

Previous  to  the  American  Revolution  considerable  business 
was  done  in  Fairfield  but  during  the  period  following  that  event, 
it  was  known  as  a  place  of  homes,  a  quiet,  lovely  town  rich  in 
men  and  women  of  character—an  old  fashioned,  ideal,  colonial 
town  abounding  in  good  society  and  intellectual  life.  Business 
was  transacted   in   Bridgeport,    New   Haven,   Norwalk  or  New 


42 

York  by  the  citizens  of  the  place.  Fairfield  invited  them  to  rest. 
General  Parker  the  Indian  chief  and  soldier  who  served  on  the 
staff  of  General  Grant  naturally  sought  Fairfield  as  a  good  place 
for  a  home.  When  the  President  of  the  Wheeler  and  Wilson 
Sewing  Machine  Company  returned  east,  he  made  his  home  in 
Fairfield  and  it  was  one  of  the  interesting  incidents  connected 
with  his  home-making  here  for  Mr.  Samuel  H.  Wheeler  to  discover 
that  he  had  settled  upon  the  very  property  which  his  ancestors 
had  owned  and  occupied  more  than  two  hundred  years  ago. 

THE  INTEIvLECTUAL  ATMOSPHERE. 

The  strong,  rich  life  of  the  town  has  manifested  itself  not  only 
in  the  men  who  have  commanded  ships,  built  up  great  enter- 
prises, shone  as  statesmen,  attained  eminence  as  teachers,  phil- 
anthropists, soldiers  and  preachers.  A  large  and  worthy  com- 
pany of  writers  have  here  served  their  day  and  generation.  Lud- 
low's Code — the  published  sermons  of  early  ministers —  the  six 
deliverances  of  Noah  Hobart,  the  doughty  controversialist, books 
which  are  filled  with  the  learning  and  passion  of  a  powerful 
Colonial  leader — these  are  part  of  New  England  history.  Joel 
Barlow's  ancestors  gave  the  name  to  Barlow's  plain,  a  portion  of 
Fairfield  ;  and  the  ambitious,  witty,  buoyant  Joel  himself  haunted 
the  streets  of  the  town,  wrote  poetry  here,  studied  law^  and  w^as 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  Fairfield.  His  friend  the  poet,  David 
Humphreys,  became  a  familiar  figure  in  the  town,  and  wrote  the 
elegy  on  the  Burning  of  Fairfield.  Timothy  Dwight  in  his  poem 
entitled  "Greenfield  Hill,"  likewise  sings  his  lament  over  the  de- 
struction of  the  village.  Dr.  Sereno  Dwight,  President  of  Ham- 
ilton College,  author  of  the  Biography  of  Timothy  Dwight,  and 
numerous  other  works,  was  born  in  Fairfield.  Professor  Benja- 
min Silliman,  whom  Edward  Everett  called  the  Nestor  of  Ameri- 
can Science,  spent  childhood  and  youth  in  the  town  of  his  fore- 
fathers, gathering  strength  of  body  and  mind  for  his  arduous  in- 
tellectual tasks.  Dr.  Atwater,  Dr.  Lord  and  Dr.  March  were  all 
writers  of  books,  some  of  which  attained  a  wide  popularity  in 


A  CoLONiAi,  House  on  the  Green 


43 

their  day.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Osgood,  who  made  his  home 
at  "Waldstein,"  in  this  town  was  actively  engaged  for  many 
years  in  literary  pursuits  in  addition  to  pastoral  duties.  His 
daughter,  Mabel  Osgood  Wright,  the  present  owner  of  "Wald- 
stein,"  has  published  seventeen  volumns  of  nature  studies  and 
fiction. 

A  goodly  company  of  literary  folk,  numbering  nearly  two 
score,  is  intimately  associated  with  the  old  town.  These  writers 
cover  a  wide  field  of  activity  in  the  one  hundred  and  forty  vol- 
umns or  more  which  they  have  published.  Innumerable  pam- 
phlets, sermons,  addresses,  lectures,  papers,  reports  and  similar 
articles  must  be  added  to  this  collection.  These  various  authors 
wrote  books  on  theology,  horticulture,  law,  natural  history,  poli- 
tics, logic.  One  writer  describes  his  travels  at  home  and  abroad 
— another  writer,  Professor  Silliman,  puts  into  ten  volumes  the 
results  of  long  and  fruitful  scientific  research — a  third,  President 
Dwight,  combines  religion,  travel,  education,  poetry',  history, 
showing  a  delightful  versatility  of  mind.  There  is  hardly  a  de- 
partment of  American  literature  that  has  not  been  enriched  at 
one  time  or  another  by  some  of  these  workmen. 

HISTORIC  SITES. 

A  committee  appointed  by  the  Historical  Society  has  recently 
marked,  certain  interesting  historic  sites.  As  the  village  was 
burned  by  the  British  in  1779  the  number  of  buildings  which 
escaped  destruction  can  be  counted  on  the  fingers  of  two  hands. 
But  when  the  Andrew  Ward  monument  w^as  dedicated  twelve 
markers  indicated  sites  which  had  particular  interest: 

(i)  Oldest  House  now  standing  in  Fairfield — 1720,  property 
of  Mrs.  Josephine  Browm.  (2)  First  Mill — by  side  of  the 
inlet  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Oliver  Turney.  (3)  Homestead 
Lot  of  Roger  Ludlow — corner  place  on  Main  Street  and  Benson 
Avenue.  (4)  Homestead  Lot  of  William  Ward,  embracing  the 
residence  property  of  Miss  Annie  B.  Jennings  and  Mr.  Samuel 
H.  Wheeler.  (5)  Andrew  Ward's  Main  Street  House,  adjoin- 
ing Sherman  Parsonage.  (6)  Site  of  First  Meeting  House,  1644. 
(7)  Burr  Homestead,  Main  Street,  occupied  by  Jehu  Burr  1649, 


44 

and  Thaddeus  Burr,  1759.  (8)  Trinity  Church — second  edi- 
fice, 1738.  (7)  Philip  Pinckney's  Lot — 1653.  (10)  King's  High- 
way— 1755.  (11)  Homestead  of  Henry  Marquand — 1768.  (12) 
First  site  of  Trinity  Church — 1725. 

NOTEWORTHY  HOUSES. 

The  six  colonial  houses  now  standing  in  the  village — the  Tur- 
ney  house  a  few  rods  east  of  the  first  mill  site,  the  two  Hobart 
houses  on  the  Green,  the  tw^o  Judson  houses  on  Beach  Lane  and 
the  Redfield  house  on  Mill  Plain — are  the  last  reminders  of  early 
simplicity  in  building. 

THE  BURR  MANSION. 

The  stately  Burr  mansion,  standing  on  the  site  of  the  former 
hospitable  home  belonging  to  the  High  Sheriff,  (Main  Street, 
west  of  the  Academy) ,  seems  to  take  us  back  into  pre-revolu- 
tionary  days,  for  Mr.  Burr  rebuilt  immediately  after  the  war  and 
his  friend  John  Hancock  assisted  him.  It  was  in  the  old  house 
that  Mrs.  Thomas  Hancock  and  Dorothy  Quincy  tarried  a  good 
part  of  the  year  when  Boston  was  besieged  and  affairs  in  that 
neighborhood  were  in  an  unsettled  state.  Here  Mrs.  Hancock 
died  only  three  days  after  Washington's  third  visit  to  Fairfield. 
Her  body  lies  in  the  ancient  Burying  Ground,  a  stone  placed  at 
the  head  of  her  grave  testifying  to  the  curious  fact  that  Thad- 
deus Burr  put  it  there  at  his  own  expense,  although  Mrs.  Han- 
cock was  a  woman  of  fortune  and  this  fortune  is  said  to  have 
been  given  to  her  husband's  nephew,  the  Honorable  John  Han- 
cock. It  was  in  the  old  Burr  house  that  Dorothy  Quincy  often 
met  Col.  Aaron  Burr,  greatly  to  the  annoyance  of  her  fiance, 
and  the  watchful  aunt  into  whose  charge  she  had  been  given.  It 
was  also  in  the  old  mansion  that  the  President  of  the  Continental 
Congress  and  Dorothy  Quincy  were  united  in  wedlock —  a  gay 
occasion  for  Fairfield  when  the  terrors  of  war  were  forgotten  for 
an  hour  and  the  town  gave  itself  up  to  festivity. 

A  letter  written  by  Thaddeus  Burr   to   a   Philadelphia  friend 


Thk  Burr  Mansion 


45 

and  preserved  in  the  Emmet  Collection,  now  owned  by  the  New 
York  Public  Library,  refers  to  the  presence  of  General  Lafayette 
in  Fairfield.  It  is  dated  the  last  Sunday  of  August,  1778  :  "  The 
latest  accounts  we  have  from  Rhode  Island  are  Friday  evening 
last  by  the  Marquis  De  La  Fayette,  aid-de-camp,  who  arrived  at 
my  house  on  Sunday  evening  on  the  way  to  General  Washing- 
ton. He  informed  me  that  the  determination  there  was  to  hold 
the  ground  we  had  got.  That  General  Hancock  had  gone  to  Bos- 
ton to  make  provision  for  marching  the  French  troops  from  there 
to  Rhode  Island.  That  the  Marquis  was  to  set  out  for  Boston  on 
Friday  to  take  command  of  the  troops.  That  it  was  agreed  that  all 
the  French  fleet  which  were  in  a  condition  to  put  to  sea  were 
immediately  to  return  to  Rhode  Island.     .     . " 

One  of  John  Hancock's  love  letters  to  his  fiancee  tarrying  at 
Thaddeus  Burr's  shows  that  the  President  of  the  Continental 
Congress  did  not  give  all  his  time  to  public  duties : 

"My  Dr.  Dolly, — I  am  almost  prevail'd  on  to  think  that  my  let- 
ters to  my  Aunt  and  you  are  not  read,  for  I  cannot  obtain  a  reply. 
I  have  ask'd  a  million  questions  and  not  an  answer  to  one.  I 
beg'd  you  to  let  me  know  what  things  my  Aunt  wanted  and  you, 
and  many  other  matters  I  wanted  to  know,  but  not  one  word  in 
answer.  I  Really  Take  it  extreme  unkind.  Pray  my  Dr.  use 
not  so  much  Ceremony  and  Reservedness.  Wh}^  can't  you  use 
freedom  in  writing.  Be  not  afraid  of  me.  I  want  Long  Letters. 
Why  did  you  not  write  me  of  the  top  of  the  Umbrella.  I  am 
sorry  it  was  spoiled,  but  I  will  send  you  another  by  Express 
wch  will  go  down  in  a  few  days.  How  did  my  Aunt  like  her 
gown  and  do  let  me  know  if  the  Stockings  suited  her  ;  she  had 
better  send  a  pattern  shoe  and  stocking.  I  warrant  I  w411  suit 
her.  .  .  I  Beg,  my  Dear  Dolly,  you  will  write  me  often  and 
Long  Letters.  I  will  forgive  the  past  if  you  will  mend  in  future. 
Do  ask  my  Aunt  to  make  me  up  and  send  me  a  Watch  String  and  do 
you  make  up  another  and  send  me.  I  wear  them  out  fast.  I 
want  some  little  thing  of  your  doing.  Remember  to  all  Friends 
with  you  as  if  nam'd.  I  am  call'd  upon  and  must  obey.  I  have 
sent  you  by  Doer  Church  in  a   paper  Box   Directed  to  you,  the 


46 

following  things  for  your  acceptance,   and  which   I  do  insist  you 
wear.     If  you  do  not  I  shall  think  the  Donor  is  the  objection  : — 
2  pair  white  silk  stockings  w^hich 

4  pr,  white  thread  I  think  w^ill  fit  you 

I  pr.  Black  Satin  shoes,  the  other 

I  pr.  Black  Calem  Co       Shall  be  sent  w^hen  done. 
I  very  pretty  light  Hat 

1  neat  Airy  Summer  Cloak.      (I  ask  Doer.  Church) 

2  caps 

I  Fann 

I  wish  these  may  please  you.  I  shall  be  gratified  if  they  do, 
I  will  attend  all  your  Commands. 

Adieu  my  Dr.  Girl,  and  believe  me  to  be  with  great  Esteem  and 
Affection. 

Yours  without  Reserve, 

John  Hancock. 

Remember  me  to  Katy  Brackett." 

Dr.  Church,  by  whose  hand  this  letter  was  brought  to  Doro- 
thy Q.,  was  shortly  after  expelled  from  the  Massachusetts 
Assembly,  being  accused  of  treason.  Confined  in  prison  for  some 
months  he  was  finally  permitted  to  sail  for  the  West  Indies.  The 
vessel  and  all  on  board  were  lost. 

The  Burr  homestead  now  called  "  Garden  Court,"  is  the  coun- 
try seat  of  Mr.  A.  Holland  Forbes. 

THE  SILLIMAN  HOME. 

The  vSilliman  home  on  Holland  Hill  was  the  center  of  a  gener- 
ous and  abundant  life.  General  Silliman,  a  man  of  large  affairs 
and  varied  interests,  entertained  in  true  colonial  style — his  home, 
the  frequent  stopping  place  for  distinguished  travelers  and  a 
favorite  rendezvous  for  the  lively  company  of  young  gallants  and 
charming  girls,  thronging  the  town.  Mrs.  Silliman,  in  whose 
honor  the  Bridgeport  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Rev^olution  is  named,  was  a  woman  of  fine  culture  and  beautiful 
spirit.  Her  journal,  giving  an  account  of  the  burning  of  Fair- 
field, the  sudden  migration  of  her   family  to  Unity  (Trumbull) 


A  Garden  View  of  Sherman  Parsonage 


47 

where  Benjamin  was  born,  is  a  precious  and  illuminating  narra- 
tive. Prof.  Fisher  quotes  freely  from  it  in  his  biography  of  Prof. 
Silliman.  The  old  house  on  the  hill  remains  in  good  state  of 
preservation. 

In  a  brief  sketch  Prof.  Silliman  describes  the  capture  of  his 
father  by  the  British  on  the  night  of  May  ist,  1779.  "  Between 
twelve  and  one  o'clock  a.  m.  the  house  was  violently  assaulted 
by  large  heavy  stones  banging  against  both  doors,  with  oaths, 
imprecations  and  threats.  My  father  being  awaked  from  a  sound 
sleep,  seized  two  loaded  guns  standing  at  his  bedside,  rushed  to 
the  front  windows,  and  b}-  the  light  of  the  moon  seeing  armed 
men  on  the  stoop  or  portico,  he  thrust  the  muzzle  of  a  musket 
through  a  pane  of  glass  and  pulled  the  trigger,  but  there  was 
only  a  flash  in  the  pan  and  the  gun  did  not  go  off.  .  .  In- 
stantly the  windows  were  dashed  in  and  the  ruffians  were  upon 
him.  .  .  and  he  became  their  prisoner.  William,  his  son, 
although  ill  with  ague  and  fever,  was  aroused  from  his  bed  and 
became  also  their  captive.  These  rude  men,  bearing  guns  with 
fixed  bayonets,  followed  my  father  into  the  bedroom,  a  terrific 
sight  to  his  wife,  she  being  in  bed  with  her  little  son.  .  .  The 
invaders  were  soothed  by  my  father  as  if  they  were  gentlemen 
soldiers  and  were  desired  to  withdraw  from  the  presence  of  his 
wife.  They  sulkily  complied,  and  my  father,  by  tossing  my 
mother's  dress  over  a  basket  containing  the  sacramental  silver  of 
the  Church  of  which  he  was  deacon,  thus  concealed  from  them 
what  would  have  been  a  rich  prize."  The  two  captives  were 
hurried  down  to  the  whale  boat,  w^hich  lay  hidden  on  the  shore 
of  Ash  Creek,  and  carried  across  the  Sound.  The  following  year 
he  returned  to  his  home  through  an  exchange  of  prisoners. 

SHERMAN  PARSONAGE. 

Sherman  Parsonage  (the  house  with  sixty  closets)  was  built 
by  Judge  Roger  M.  Sherman,  a  nephew  of  Roger  Sherman, 
signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  Judge  purchased 
some  eight  acres  of  land  in  the  square  which  had  been  occupied 
by  Governor  Roger  Ludlow,  Deputy  Andrew  Ward,  Major  Na- 


48 

than  Gold,  Goodman  Staples  (whose  wife  was  accused  of  witch- 
craft) and  other  Fairfield  worthies.  He  erected  an  ample,  colo- 
nial mansion — one  of  the  most  dignified  and  expensive  in  this 
part  of  the  State.  Here  many  eminent  scholars,  statesmen  and 
public  servants  were  entertained  and  a  generous  hospitalitj'  be- 
came the  characteristic  of  this  beautiful  home.  The  distinctive 
feature  of  the  mansion,  however,  was  the  multiplicity  and 
arrangement  of  the  closets.  Mrs.  Sherman's  beneficence  extended 
to  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  dependents.  The  closets  scattered 
through  the  house  contained  not  only  the  private  efl;ects  of  the 
family,  but  large  stores  of  goods — flannels,  linen,  cloths,  jellies, 
preserved  fruits,  garments  and  similar  stuff — which  were  freely 
distributed  to  people  in  need.  When  Judge  and  Mrs.  Sherman 
passed  away  they  bequeathed  the  place  to  the  Prime  Ancient 
Society  for  a  parsonage.  It  has  been  occupied  successively  by 
Dr.  Atwater,  Dr.  Lord,  Dr.  McLean,  Dr.  Rankin,  Dr.  Burroughs, 
Dr.  Bushnell  and  the  present  minister. 

The  portraits  of  Judge  and  Mrs.  Sherman,  the  fine  workman- 
ship of  the  artist  Jocelyn,  hang  on  the  wall  of  the  ea.st  drawing- 
room.  The  Judge's  private  library  is  preserved  intact  and  rests 
behind  glass  cases  in  the  old  study  of  the  east  wing.  Many  of 
the  books  are  presentation  copies  containing  autographs  of  Judge 
Sherman's  distinguished  friends.  One  case  holds  various  inter- 
esting papers,  manuscripts,  journals,  account  books,  letters  and 
other  valuable  historical  matter. 

Sherman  Parsonage  is  an  attractive,  old-fashioned  mansion, 
intimately  associated  with  the  best  life  of  the  town  during  the 
past  century. 

THE  GOULD  HOMESTEAD. 

Fairfield  has  long  been  distinguished  for  its  pleasant,  unpre- 
tentious homes.  The  conservative  character  of  old  residents 
expresses  itself  in  houses  that  are  commodious  and  comfortable 
standing  amid  well-kept  lawns,  which  reach  down  to  large,  beau- 
tiful gardens.     Velvet  turf,    graceful   shrubbery,    trim   hedges. 


Pulpit  Rock 


49 

flower-bordered   walks,    magnificent   shade   trees — these   adorn- 
ments impart  dignity  and  loveliness  to  the  town. 

The  Gould  homestead  is  one  of  the  conspicuous  places  on  the 
eastern  edge  of  the  town.  The  dignified  mansion  sits  on  a  slight 
elevation  and  makes  a  pleasant  impression  upon  the  traveler 
passing  along  the  King's  Highway.  For  many  generations  the 
Goulds  have  had  possession  of  property  in  this  section  of  the 
town.  Abraham  Gould,  however,  son  of  Col.  Abraham  Gould, 
moved  to  Roxbury,  N.  Y.,  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. The  famil}^  traditions  concerning  active  life  and  natural 
leadership  have  been  vindicated  in  the  successful  business  career 
of  Jay  Gould,  great  grandson  of  Col.  Gould,  and  other  prominent 
workers  bearing  the  name.  The  house  which  invites  attention 
was  built  by  Hon.  John  Gould,  an  eminent  and  respected  son  of 
the  old  stock — Captain,  Member  of  Assembly,  State  Senator, 
Railroad  Commissioner  and  U.  S.  Marshall  for  the  State  of  Con- 
necticut. 

WALDSTEIN. 

On  a  rise  of  ground  north  of  the  railroad  station  the  obser\^er 
notes  the  shaded  seclusion  of  Waldstein.  Fifty  years  ago  Dr. 
Osgood  purchased  the  rugged,  cedar-covered  tract,  which  to-da\- 
is  a  quiet,  lovely,  rural  retreat,  suggestive  of  a  close  friendship 
with  nature  and  the  spirit  of  poesy.  Winding  walks,  shady 
nooks,  rocks  which  bear  the  names  of  patriots,  authors  and 
artists,  summer  houses,  a  lily  pool,  and  an  old-fashioned  flower 
garden  with  its  sundials,  enhance  the  charm  of  the  place.  As 
people  pass  along  the  street  they  notice  a  deep  cut  inscription  on 
the  bold  rock  which  juts  upon  the  sidewalk:  "God  and  Our 
Country,  1862."  This  date  was  put  there  to  commemorate  pa- 
triotic and  religious  services  held  during  the  shock  and  heat  of 
the  Civil  War  that  fateful  summer  when  the  rustic  house,  which 
tops  the  rock,  was  used  as  a  pulpit,  while  the  street  below  and  the 
field  across  the  way  became  an  audience  room  where  the  hun- 
dreds gathered  and  gave  rapt  heed  to  the  eloquent  message 
which  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  preacher.  The  man  who  cut  the 
inscription  enlisted  and  served  his  term  in  the  war. 


50 

THE  ROWLAND  HOMESTEAD. 

The  Rowland  Homestead,  which  stands  near  the  site  of  the 
famous  Marine  Hotel  and  the  second  edifice  of  Trinity  Church, 
has  an  air  of  amplitude  and  hospitality  most  delightful.  Its  gen- 
erous lawns  and  old  fashioned  gardens,  its  noble  shade  trees  and 
lovely  vistas  of  the  sea  impart  unforgetable  charm.  It  was  from 
the  spire  of  the  adjoining  church  that  little  Samuel  Rowland, 
aged  ten,  saw  the  approach  of  the  British  marching  up  Beach 
Lane  on  a  July  afternoon,  1779.  "Make  haste,  you  young  rascal, 
and  get  awa}^,"  shouted  one  of  the  neighbors,  who  had  climbed  to 
the  lookout  that  he  might  observe  the  enemy.  An  old  chest  dis- 
covered in  the  attic  of  the  Rowland  Homestead  recently  contained 
various  important  ancient  documents  and  some  portion  of  the  old 
town  records.  The  lad  who  braved  the  excitement  of  the  hour 
in  1779  and  watched  the  progress  of  the  foe  pushing  along  toward 
the  Green,  became  one  of  Fairfield's  efficient  and  honored  ser- 
vants in  later  years,  holding  various  offices,  among  them  that  of 
Town  Clerk  during  a  period  extending  over  forty  years.  It  was 
the  name  of  this  lad's  father,  Mr.  Andrew  Rowland,  one  of  the 
Committee  of  Correspondence,  which  was  appended  to  the  sheet 
announcing  the  battle  of  Lexington  and  forwarded  to  New  York, 
the  other  Fairfield  names  being  Jonathan  Sturges,  Thaddeus 
Burr  and  Job  Bartram. 

ROUND  HILL. 

Fairfield  is  diversified  by  numerous  hills,  the  prospects  from 
whose  summits  extend  many  miles  over  sea  and  land.  Round 
Hill,  which  has  been  converted  into  a  beautiful  park  by  Mr. 
Frederick  Sturges,  is  an  objective  point  for  all  lovers  of  fine 
scenery.  It  was  an  old  signal  station  during  the  ages  of  the  In- 
dians' sway.  Fires  often  blazed  their  warning  messages  from  its 
vantage  point.  Keen  eyes  at  night  may  see  a  dozen  beacons  off 
in  the  Sound  shining  their  cheer  and  help  from  the  lighthouses 
placed  along  our  shores. 


MAILANDS. 

Osborn  Hill  is  crowned  with  the  commodious  country  seat  of 
Mr.  Oliver  G.  Jennings.  This  large  stone  mansion  with  its  com- 
manding tower,  broad  facades,  loft3^-pointed  roofs  and  ample 
porticoes  is  the  notevv'orthy  feature  of  the  landscape  as  the  traveler 
passes  up  and  down  the  country.  The  estate  covers  many  acres 
of  field  and  forest,  upland  and  lowland,  wide  spread  lawn  and 
elaborate  gardens — one  of  the  loveliest  and  most  attractive  places 
on  the  sea  coast  of  New  England. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  the  hill  was  once  the  abode  of  a  rabid 
Tory  whose  bitter  hatred  and  offensive  conduct  aroused  the  sus- 
picion and  alarm  of  the  neighboring  patriots.  After  the  war  he 
was  said  to  have  disappeared  mysteriously.  The  hill  was  another 
favorite  resort  of  savage  tribes  and  might  tell  strange  tales  of 
Indian  rites,  customs  and  conflicts. 

GREENFIEI.D  HILL. 

Greenfield  Hill  lies  to  the  northw^est,  the  white  slender  spire  of 
the  Congregational  Church  making  a  landmark  most  useful  to 
men  on  the  sea  and  adding  its  touch  of  beauty  and  repose  to  the 
scene.  It  was  from  the  spire  of  the  meeting  house  on  Greenfield 
Hill  that  Major  Tallmadge  often  watched  the  movements  of 
British  ships  and  directed  some  of  his  secret  service  work  done  as 
one  of  Washington's  trusted  agents. 

VERNA  EARM. 

The  conspicuous  and  substantial  red  brick  mansion  which 
shines  amid  its  environment  of  charming  fields  and  noble  trees  is 
the  Bronson  home.  Verna  Farm  is  an  estate  of  broad  acres  and 
commanding  situation,  long  associated  with  an  honored  family. 
Mrs.  Bronson  and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Griscom,  wife  of  the 
American  Ambassador  to  Italy,  reside  at  the  Embassy  in  Rome. 
Mr.  J.  Kelly  Robinson,  a  prominent  financier  and  capitalist  of 
New  York,  made  his  country  home  at  Verna  Farm  for  several 
years  before  his  recent  death. 

The  mansion  stands  on  ground  w^hich  was  once  the  homestead 
property  of  Dr.  Timothy  Dwight. 


HOLIvAND  HEIGHTS. 

Holland  Hill  or  Heights  is  intimately  associated  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  Silliman  family.  Here  the  Rev.  Andrew  Eliot  fled 
when  driven  from  Fairfield  after  the  burning  of  the  town.  When 
Mrs.  Silliman  returned  to  her  home  on  the  Withdrawing  of  the 
enemy  she  writes  that  she  found  it  ' '  full  of  distressed  people 
whose  houses  had  been  burned,  and  our  friend,  Captain  Bartram, 
lay  there  a  wounded  man."  There  were  eleven  slaves  in  the 
Silliman  family  and  the  pastor  of  the  parish  was  the  owner  of 
two.  Many  of  these  colored  people  disappeared  during  the  war. 
They  were  kindly  treated  by  their  masters,  but  the  fortunes  of 
war  made  great  changes  in  the  customs  of  the  people.  It  is  said 
to  the  credit  of  these  Connecticut  slaves  that  many  of  them 
fought  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  and  stood  loyally  with 
the  patriots  receiving  afterward  their  due  reward. 

MILL  HILL. 

Mill  Hill  is  another  point  of  vantage  overlooking  the  sea. 
Lovely  homes  adorn  its  broad  acres.  A  daily  panorama  unrolls 
before  the  fortunate  dwellers  here  as  they  gaze  upon  the  multi- 
tude of  ships  which  pass  up  and  down  the  generous  waterway. 

SASCO  HILL. 

The  harbour  at  Southport  is  guarded  on  the  east  by  Sasco 
Hill,  a  piece  of  headland  projecting  boldly  into  the  sea.  This 
elevated,  attractive  portion  of  goodly  acres  includes  another 
region  of  homes  where  the  skill  and  devotion  of  men  vie  with 
nature  in  making  the  landscape  beautiful. 

GROVER'S  HILL. 

The  hill  which  lies  near  to  the  extreme  east  of  the  old  Fairfield 
Parish  has  already  been  described  as  the  location  of  a  fort  during 
the  war  of  the  American  Revolution  and  the  war  of  1812. 
Schoonhoven  Park,  which  now  embraces  the  modest  eminence 


The  Southport  Congrkgationai,  Church 


53 

once  associated  with  war,  secret  service  and  traditions  of  adven- 
ture, has  become  a  quiet,  lovely  retreat  graced  by  lovely  homes, 
around  which  cluster  man)'  pleasant  associations. 

WITCH  HILL. 

There  are  legends  of  a  Witch  Hill,  the  elevation  on  which  the 
poor  wotdan  cohvicted  of  witchcraft  in  1653  was  hanged.  It  has 
been  a  difficult  matter  to  identify  this  place.  The  little  hill 
which  slopes  down  to  Ash  Creek  is  sometimes  pointed  out  as  the 
historic  spot.  '  *  I  have  been  fished  withal  in  private  more  than 
you  are  aware  of,  * '  said  the  forlorn  sufferer,  as  she  was  taken  to 
the  gibbet,  "  but  I  must  not  return  evil  for  evil."  When  death 
came  and  the  body  was  lowered  affrighted  women  searched  for 
witch  marks  and  according  to  oft  repeated  stories  detected  these 
telltale  witnesses.  ' '  Never,  never,  was  a  poor  creature  tempted 
as  I  am  tempted.  Pray,  pray  for  me  !"  These  words  rang  in 
the  public  ear  for  many  a  sad  day. 

STURGES  HOMESTEAD 

The  residence  of  Judge  Jonathan  Sturges  occupied  the  site  of 
his  ancestor,  the  first  John  Sturges  in  town,  situated  opposite  the 
present  St.  Thomas  Church.  It  was  in  this  house  (which  was 
burned  in  1779)  that  Paul  Revere  spent  the  night  when  on  his 
way  from  Boston  to  New  York  with  despatches  for  General 
Washington.  Jonathan  Sturges,  the  grandson,  purchased  the 
estate  on  Mill  Plain,  now  owned  by  his  son,  Henry  C.  Sturges, 
Esq.,  and  erected  a  Gothic  cottage,  employing  a  famous  land- 
scape gardener  to  lay  out  the  grounds.  It  became  one  of  the 
famous  popular  sights  in  Connecticut,  numerous  visitors  travel- 
ing to  Fairfield  in  order  to  see  the  rare,  fine  work  which  had 
been  done  by  this  pioneer  artist  in  landscapes. 


^•^^ 


CHURCHES. 


THE  CHURCH   OF  CHRIST,  First  CongregationaIv  Church— 1639. 
Rkv.  Frank  S.  Chii.d,  D.  D.,  Pastor. 

The  parish  of  the  Prime  Ancient  Society  originally  embraced 
the  entire  town  of  Fairfield  whose  boundaries  were  Stratford  on 
the  east,  Redding  on  the  north,  Norwalk  on  the  west  and  Long 
Island  Sound  on  the  south.  The  Established  Religion  of  Con- 
necticut was  Congregationalism  until  the  adoption  of  the  New 
State  Constitution  in  the  year  181 8.  During  this  period  the 
Church  w^as  supported  by  taxation  like  other  State  Churches. 
An  historical  tablet,  designed  by  Tiffany  and  containing  the 
names  of  the  ministers  and  the  dates  of  their  pastorates,  has  been 
recently  placed  in  the  vestibule  of  the  Church,  a  gift  of  Miss 
Jennings. 

TRINITY  CHURCH— 1724. 

Rev.  Edmund  Guii.bert,  D.D.,  Rector. 

The  first  Church  edifice  was  erected  in  1725  on  Mill  Plain.  In 
1738  a  second  edifice  was  reared  near  the  center  of  the  village 
"on  the  highway  near  the  old  Fields  Gate."  This  house  of 
worship  was  burned  by  the  British  in  1779.  The  third  structure 
v^as  built  on  the  Green  at  Mill  Plain  and  dedicated  on  the  5th  o^ 
September,  1790.  The  fourth  edifice  to  serve  the  members  of 
Trinity  Parish  was  erected  in  Southport,  situated  a  mile  or  more 
from  Mill  Plain.  The  congregation  continues  to  worship  in  this 
dignified,  commodious  house  of  God. 

CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH  OF  GREENFIELD  HILL— 1725. 
Rev.   Edgar   H.  Oi^mstead,  Pastor. 

This  is  the  third  parish  set  off  from  the  Prime  Ancient  Society. 
The  chaste,  old-fashioned  Meeting-house,  the  fourth  edifice 
placed  in  the  midst  of  the  little  Green  on  the  hill,  stands  as  one 


Trinity  Church 


55 

of  the  historic  and  conspicuous  landmarks  for  all  this  region.  It 
was  from  this  point  of  vantage  and  the  spire  of  the  second  edifice 
that  Major  Tallmadge,  one  of  Washington's  aids  who  had  charge 
"of  a  particular  part  of  his  private  correspondence,"  observed 
the  movements  of  the  enemy  along  the  Sound. 

BAPTIST  CHURCH   OF  STRATFIELD— 1761. 
Rev.   Wilwam    Swanson,   Pastor. 

The  sanctuary  crowns  a  little  hill  which  divides  the  highway 
leading  from  Bridgeport  to  Easton.  Although  situated  on  the 
edge  of  our  neighboring  city,  this  is  essentially  a  rural  parish 
with  the  traditions  and  customs  of  the  olden  days. 

CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH  OF  SOUTH  PORT— 1843. 
Rev.  Wii.i,iam  H.  Hoi^man,  Pastor 

This  Church — one  of  the  various  offshoots  of  the  Prime 
Ancient  Society — was  organized  in  1843.  The  members  of  the 
congregation  worship  in  the  second  edifice  which  they  have 
reared.  The  beautiful  granite  structure,  dedicated  February 
2nd,  1876,  makes  a  generous  contribution  to  the  noteworthy 
attractiveness  of  the  town. 

ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH— 1856. 
Rev.  AIvIvEn  E.  Beeman,  Archdeacon  of  FairfieIvD  County,  Rector 

This  parish  was  organized  some  twenty  years  after  Trinity 
Church  removed  from  Mill  Plain  to  Southport.  The  shapely 
edifice  in  which  its  members  worship  has  been  transformed  by 
the  grace  of  luxuriant  vines  into  a  temple  of  beauty,  adding 
charm  to  a  street  and  neighborhood  called  unique  in  loveliness 
among  New  England  villages. 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH  OF  SOUTHPORT— 1860. 
Rev.  E.  F.  Lounsbury,  Pastor. 
The  present  edifice  is  the  second  one  built  by  this  society.     It 
is  a  symmetrical  brick  structure  pleasantly  located  on  Pequot 
avenue  and  was  dedicated  in  i: 


56 

ST.  THOMAS  CHURCH  (Roman  Catholic.) 

Rev.  Thomas  J.  Colkman,  Rector. 

The  first  edifice  erected  by  this  congregation  was  destroyed  by 
fire  together  with  the  adjoining  rectory  and  school  building  in 
the  winter  of  1892.  The  present  edifice  was  erected  during  the 
year  1893.  It  is  a  commodious  structure  built  of  red  brick — an 
adornment  to  the  town.  A  large  congregation  is  served  by  the 
Church,  the  parish  embracing  territory  extending  from  Bridge- 
port to  Westport  and  far  back  in  the  hill  country. 

FAIRFIELD  EAST  PARISH. 

In  1690  thirty-three  taxpayers  of  Fairfield  and  thirteen  from 
Stratford  asked  the  General  Court  of  Connecticut  to  be  exempted 
from  paying  minister's  rates  to  these  resj  ective  parishes.  Four 
year  later  the  Court  gave  these  people  permission  to  organize  a 
Church.  The  Meeting-house  was  erected  on  what  is  now  called 
Park  Avenue,  half  the  site  being  acquired  from  Fairfield  and  half 
from  Stratford.  This  first  offshoot  of  the  parent  stock  is  known 
as  the  First  or  North  Church  of  Bridgeport. 

WEST  PARISH  OF  FAIRFIELD. 

People  of  the  West  Parish  of  Fairfield  received  permission  of 
the  General  Assembly  to  embody  themselves  in  a  Church  estate 
in  1 71 1.  This  was  the  second  withdrawal  of  members  from  the 
parent  Fairfield  Parish  in  order  to  form  a  new  Church.  The 
Green's  Farms  section  of  the  town  united  with  contiguous  terri- 
tory on  the  west  and  north  to  form  the  town  of  Westport. 

Dr.  Ripley  was  the  honored  pastor  of  this  Church  from  1766-7 
to  1 82 1,  a  learned,  distinguished  and  patriotic  minister.  Chan- 
cellor Kent  of  New  York,  referring  to  this  honored  friend,  tells 
how  "the  British  incendiaries  on  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  July 
swept  over  the  village  of  Green's  Farms  and  destroyed  all  the 
houses  for  near  a  mile  in  succession  ;  among  others  the  house 
v/here  I  had  slept  on  the  Tuesday  evening  preceding,  and  the 
house  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ripley,  and  the  Meeting-house  in  which 


St.  Thomas's  Church 


57 

that  excellent  man  used  to  preach."  In  some  reminiscences  Dr. 
Ripley  mentions  the  fact  that  he  accompanied  General  Washing- 
ton to  Fairfield  when  he  passed  that  way  to  assume  command  of 
the  American  Army  at  Boston.  The  General  and  his  companion 
alighted  at  Bulkley's  Inn  on  the  Fairfield  Green.  While  they 
were  standing  in  front  of  the  tavern,  waiting  for  their  horses, 
Washington  conversed  with  Dr.  Ripley  on  public  affairs  and 
passing  his  finger  through  the  buttonhole  of  the  minister's  coat 
said  that  if  the  Americans  could  prolong  the  contest  for  one  year 
he  believed  they  would  ultimately  succeed,  because  in  that  time 
arms  and  ammunition  could  be  obtained  and  they  would  be 
invincible. 

FAIRFIELD  FRESH  AIR  HOME. 

President 
Frank  S.  Child,  D.D. 

Vice-President 
W.  H.  Donaldson,  M.D. 

Secretary  and  Treasurer 
Amory  E.  Rowland,  Esq. 

This  beneficent  institution  has  co-operated  for  seventeen  years 
with  the  Tribune  Fresh  Air  Fund  in  giving  happy  vacations  to 
the  children  of  poverty  in  New  York.  Nearly  two  thousand  lit- 
tle girls  have  enjoyed  its  hospitality  and  inspiration.  It  is  sup- 
ported by  the  free  gifts  of  many  friends.  A  handsome  and  com- 
modious house  was  built  by  popular  subscription  for  the  Associa- 
tion during  the  winter  and  spring  of  1906. 

A  pleasant  beach  house  near  the  sea  makes  a  rendezvous  for 
the  children  when  they  play  in  the  sand  or  bathe  in  the  salt 
water.  This  beautiful  charity  has  brought  much  brightness  and 
healthful  cheer  into  hundreds  of  narrow,  pinched,  desolate  homes. 

The  Home  was  transformed  into  a  Convalescent  Hospital  in  the 
autumn  of  1898  and  filled  with  sick  soldiers  returned  from  the 
Spanish- American  W^ar. 


58 

THE  CONVALESCENT  HOSPITAL. 

Finance  Committee 

Rev.  Frank  S.  Child  Miss  Annie  B.  Jennings 

Oliver  G.  Jennings  Mrs.  E.  L.  Wells 

Amory  E.  Rowland  Mrs.  William  B.  Glover 

Committee  on  Suppi^ies 
Rev.  Allen  E.  Beeman  Mrs.  Henry  S.  Glover 

Rev.  T.  J.  Coleman  Mrs.  Henry  T.  Bulkley 

Ward  Committee 
W.  H.  Donaldson,  M.D.  Mrs.  James   O.  Wright 

S.  M.  Garlick,  M.D.  Mrs.  Henry  C.  Sturges 

AMERICAN  NATIONAL  RED  CROSS— Fairfield  Branch. 

President 
Hon.  John  H.  Perry 

Secretary 
Mrs.  G.  B.  Bunnell 

Treasurer 
Miss  Mary  B.  Kippen 

During  the  Spanish- American  War  the  Red  Cross  Society  was 
tireless  in  its  efforts  to  aid  the  sick  and  wounded  among  our  sol- 
diers. Large  contributions  of  money  and  supplies  were  forwarded 
through  the  National  Society  to  places  of  need.  When  the  con- 
valescent soldiers  sent  over  from  the  camp  at  Montauk  Point 
were  received  into  our  Fresh  Air  Home  the  Fairfield  Auxiliary 
redoubled  its  energies  and  rendered  all  needed  assistance.  When 
the  National  Society  was  re-organized  recently  a  few  members  of 
the  former  organization  in  Fairfield  met  and  re-organized  in  har- 
mony with  the  suggestions  of  the  Washington  authorities.  The 
local  Auxiliary  is  now  prepared  to  help  in  time  of  fire,  plague, 
flood,  war  or  disaster  of  any  kind.  A  great  work  of  humane  min- 
istry is  achieved  through  this  organization,  its  fraternal  activities 
reaching  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth. 


■  Jt-    »'**   '        "t*"    ■^*'  '">•   -  '*' 

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Fairfield  Frksh  Air  Home 


59 
AUXILIARY,  No.  29. 

As  a  matter  of  historical  interest  the  names  of  the  officers  and 

committees  serving  Auxiliary,  No.  29,  and  the  Children's  Branch 

during  the  Spanish- American  War,  1898,  are  recorded  as  follows: 

Mrs.  H.  S.  Glover,  Chairman 

Miss  M.  F.  Sturges,  Secretary 

Miss  Mary  B.  Kippen,  Treasurer 

ExKcuTivE  Committee 

Mrs.  A.  K.  Beeman  Mrs.  E.  W.  Harral 

Mrs.  Oliver  G.  Jennings  Mrs.  H.  C.  Sturges 

Mrs.  F.  S.  Child  Miss  A.  R.  Jennings 

Miss  S.  B.  Nichols  Mrs.  James  O.  Wright 

Mrs.  J.  H.  Hewit  Miss  Alice  Bartram 

Miss  Emma  F.  Wakeman  Mrs.  S.  F.  Mills 

Miss  Annie  B.  Jennings  Mrs.  Charles  Clucas 

Mrs.  Simon  Bradley  Mrs.  M.  C.  Pierce 

Miss  A.  O.  Morehouse  Mrs.  A.  P.  Hinckley 

Mrs.  Howard  Wakeman 

Cutting  Committee 
Mrs.  H.  C.  Sturges,  Chairman 

Ways  and  Means  Committee 
Miss  Mary  B.  Kippen,"  Chairman 

Purchasing  Committee 
Miss  Emma  F.  Wakeman,  Chairman 

Entertainment  Committee 

Miss  A.  O.  Morehouse,  Chairman 

Mrs.  F.  S.  Mills,  Secretary,  pro  tem. 

Miss  Emma  F.  Wakeman 

Children's  Auxiliary 
Helen  E.  R.  Glover,  Pres.  Theodora  M.  Child,  Vice-i*res. 

Annie  A.  Sturges,  Treas.  Eleanor  Hewit,  Sec. 


6o 

THE  DOROTHY  RIPLEY  CHAPTER 

OF 

The   Daughters   of   the   American    Revoi^ution 
Founded  in  1893 

Regent 
Mrs.  Edmund  Guilbert 

Vice-Regent 
Mrs.  George  B.  Bunnell 

Recording  Secretary 

Mrs.  E.  Iv.  Wells  ; 

Treasurer 
Miss  Lottie  E.  Lacy  j 

Corresponding  Secretary 
Miss  Abbie  Peffers 

Historian 
Mrs.  Nehemiah  Perry 

Registrar 
Miss  Cornelia  Pomeroy 

This  chapter  has  been  liberal  and  industrious  in  patriotic  ser- 
vices. Frequent  contributions  to  local  and  national  movements 
mark  the  years  of  its  history. 

Perhaps  its  most  notable  work  is  the  elegant  granite  fountain 
which  was  reared  in  1903  on  the  small  plat  near  the  Southport 
Post  Office.  The  day  of  its  dedication  will  be  long  remembered. 
A  great  company  of  friends  and  citizens  assembled.  Eloquent 
addresses  were  delivered.  The  Wheeler  &  Wilson  band  rendered 
appropriate  musical  selections.  Such  gifts  not  only  quicken  local 
pride  and  add  to  the  dignity  of  a  town.  They  also  enrich  life 
and  serve  the  helpful  social  purposes. 


Memorial  Fountain,  Southport 


6i 
THE  EUNICE  DENNIE  BURR  CHAPTER 

OF 

The    Daughters    of    the    American     Revolution 

Founded  1894 

Regent 

Mrs.    Frank  S.  Child 

Vice- Regent 

Miss   Emma  F.  Wakeman 

Recording  Secretary 

Miss  Emma  E.  Brown 

Corresponding  Secretary 
Miss  I^oretta  B.  Perry 

Registrar 
Mrs.  Francis  H.  Brewer 

This  patriotic  society  named  in  honor  of  Eunice  Dennie,  the 
accomplished  wife  of  Hon.  Thaddeus  Burr,  has  been  an  efficient 
contributor  to  the  well-being  of  the  town.  The  marking  of  his- 
toric sites,  the  commemoration  of  historic  events,  the  encourage- 
ment of  patriotism  in  our  public  schools,  the  care  of  God's  Acre 
where  rest  the  forms  of  many  Revolutionary  soldiers — these  are 
some  of  the  helpful  services  which  the  Society  has  rendered  the 
town.  For  twelve  years  the  Chapter  has  conducted  an  Independ- 
ence Day  celebration  on  the  Green  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning — 
an  occasion  which  has  proved  most  delightful  and  inspiring.  The 
Society  has  a  room  in  the  second  story  of  the  Memorial  Library 
which  is  furnished  and  adorned  with  many  interesting  articles 
and  heirlooms.  The  addresses  gathered  into  the  volumn  entitled 
"An  Old  New  England  Town,"  were  prepared  and  delivered  by 
request  of  the  Eunice  Dennie  Burr  Chapter  and  the  book  is  dedi- 
cated to  the  members  of  the  Society. 


62 

FAIRFIKIvD  MEMORIAL  LIBRARY 

Founded  1876 

President 

Oliver  G.  Jennings 

Vick-Presidknt 

Franks.  Child,  D.D. 

Secretary 
Rev.  Allen  B.  Beeman 

Treasurer 
Amory  E.  Rowland 

Librarian 

Miss  Emma  F.  Wakeman 

Assistant  Librarian 

Miss  Eleanor  B.  Moretiouse 

Library  Committee 

Chairman,  Frank  S.  Child 

Secretary,  Allen  E.   Beeman 

Henry  C.  Sturges  Mrs.  Mabel  Osgood  Wright 

Wm.  A.  Wheatley  Miss  Annie  B.  Jennings 

Mrs.  Wm.  B.  Glover 

House  and  Grounds  Committee 

Chairman,  Charles  B.  Jennings 

Samuel  H.  Wheeler,  Wm.  H.  Donaldson,  M.D. 

Finance  Committee 
Chairman,  Oliver  G.  Jennings 
Henry  S.  Glover,  Amory  E.  Rowland. 

This  library  was  organized  and  incorporated  in  1876  through 
the  inspiration  and  leadership  of  Mr.  Morris  W.  Lyon,  who  gave 
most  generously  to  the  institution  and  cherished  it  with  unswerv- 
ing fidelity  during  the  later  years  of  his  beneficent  life.  Although 
called  by  its  founder  a  memorial  of  our  national  independence 


Fairfield  Memorial  Library 


63 

and  other  important  events,  it  is  really  a  memorial  of  Mr.  Lyon, 
witnessing  to  his  local  patriotism  and  his  spirit  of  noble  helpful, 
ness.  Associated  with  him  in  loyal  co-operation  when  the  library 
received  its  charter  was  Rev.  Samuel  Osgood,  D.D.,  the  first 
President  of  the  Board,  Captain  Isaac  Jennings,  Rev.  James  K. 
Lombard,  Mr.  Oliver  B.  Jennings,  Mr.  Samuel  Morehouse,  Rev. 
E.  E.  Rankin,  D.D.,  and  Mr.  John  Glover. 

The  edifice  which  now  serves  the  association,  built  by  popular 
subscription,  was  dedicated  on  the  afternoon  of  June  eleventh, 
1903.  A  large  and  notable  company  was  present  on  the  occasion 
and  addresses  were  made  by  Rev.  Samuel  Hart,  D.D.,  President 
of  the  Connecticut  Historical  Society,  Prof.  Henry  Fairfield 
Osborn,  Ph.D.,  of  Columbia  University,  Prof.  William  L.  Phelps, 
Ph.D.,  of  Yale  University,  Hon.  John  H.  Perry,  President  of  the 
Pequot  Library  Association,  Southport,  and  ex-President  Timo- 
thy Dwight,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  of  Yale  University. 

The  library  is  free — supported  by  the  gifts  of  friends  and  pa- 
trons. It  is  open  six  days  of  the  week.  The  assembly  room  on 
the  second  floor  is  given  to  the  uses  of  the  Fairfield  Historical 
Society  for  their  collections,  and  is  also  used  for  lectures  and 
public  meetings. 

FAIRFIELD  BEACH  AND  THE   BATHING   PAVILION. 

Directors  of  the  .  Association 
President,  Oliver  G,  Jennings 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  H.  Edwards  Rowland 
Edward  W.  Harral,      Frederick  Sturges,      Samuel  H.  Wheeler. 
This  beach  has  been  a  favorite  resort  of  pleasure  tor  genera- 
tions.   The  Beach  Association  was  organized  1886.    A  convenient 
and  commodious   club  house  was  erected   and  members  of   the 
association  enjoyed  its  privileges.     In  response  to  public  wishes 
the  building  has  been  enlarged  and  a  second  house  added  to  the 
plant. 

The  assembly  room  on  the  second  floor  of  the  large  pavilion 
affords  facilities  for  dances,  suppers,  concerts  and  amateur  dra- 
matic performances. 


64 

PEQUOT  LIBRARY,  SOUTHPORT 

Founded  1894 

President 

Hon.    John  H.  Perry 

Vice-President 

George  Bulkley 

Secretary 

C.  O.  Jelliff 

Treasurer 

R.  P.  Curtis 

Librarian 

Miss   Josephine   Heydrick 

Assistant  Librarian 
Miss  Frances  D.    Gleason 

In  1894  this  Ubrary,  built  and  equipped  by  the  munificent  gen- 
erosity of  Mrs.  Elbert  B.  Monroe,  was  opened  to  the  public. 
Named  in  commemoration  of  the  Pequot  fight,  which  waged  in 
sight  of  the  spot  on  which  the  edifice  stands,  it  has  become  a 
treasure  house  of  precious  books  which  have  to  do  with  Ameri- 
can histor3^  A  rare  and  unique  collection  has  been  gathered  at 
a  great  expenditure  of  money  and  service — one  of  the  most  valu- 
able and  illuminative  along  certain  lines  which  the  country 
affords.  The  library  contains  more  than  34,000  volumes.  The 
building  standing  in  the  midst  of  a  generous  and  beautiful  lawn — 
the  former  homestead  of  the  late  Frederick  Marquand  and  the 
former  home  of  his  niece,  Mrs.  Monroe — is  a  splendid  adorn- 
ment to  the  town.  The  library  is  free  to  all  citizens,  admirably 
conducted,  and  a  great  educative  force.  ''Fortunate,  even  among 
New  England  towns,"  observes  Judge  Perry,  '4s  this  of  ours, 
and,  I  am  persuaded,  also  worthy.  It  only  remains  for  us  to 
show  appreciation  and  an  increasing  wide-spread  intellectual 
blessing  is  assured." 


Y\^^/t. 


"•"  'lii* 


Pequot  Library,  Southport 


65 
SASQUANAUG  ASSOCIATION,  SOUTH  PORT 
Organized  1887 
President 
Mrs.  John  H.  Perry 
First  Vice-President 
Miss  Frances  Wakeman 
Second  Vice-President 
Mrs.  Roderick  Curtis 
Secretary 
Mrs.  Wilbur  C.  Jennings 
Treasurer 
Mrs.  H.  H.  Perry 
This  association  has  for  its  object  the  improvement  of  South- 
port.     During  the  years  of  its  service  the  society  has  been  a  most 
loyal  contributor  to  the  health,  safety  and  attractiveness  of  the 
village.     It  has  raised  large  sums  of  money  which  have  been  ex- 
pended in  laying  pavements  throughout  the  village  and  in  light- 
ing its  streets,  draining  portions  of  the  town,  adorning  various 
sections  and  rendering  the  place  more  healthful  and  beautiful. 

The  association  holds  a  considerable  sum  of  money  given  by 
living  donors  or  left  by  will  for  its  good  purposes.  It  has  also 
built  for  its  members  and  patrons  a  large  bathing  pavilion  on  the 
Southport  beach. 

THE  VILLAGE  IMPROVEMENT  SOCIETY,  FAIRFIELD 

Organized  1901 

President 

Benjamin  Betts 

Vice-President 

Miss  Mary  B.  Kippen 

Secretary 

Rev.  Allen  E.  Beeman 

Treasurer 

Miss  S.  E.  Betts 

This  Society  has  been  a  helpful  agent  in  fostering  various  good 


66 

works.'  The  chaste,  substantial  fountain  near  the  Memorial 
Library,  is  one  of  the  valuable  contributions  made  by  the  Society. 

The  sprinkling  of  the  main  street  during  summer,  and  the 
placing  of  lights  where  they  w^ere  especially  needed,  has  also  been 
done  under  the  direction  of  this  association. 

The  work  of  village  improvement  was  inaugurated  many  years 
ago  under  the  efficient  leadership  of  several  prominent  citizens. 
Through  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Frederick  Sturges  a  very  import- 
ant task  in  drainage  was  done  and  much  accomplished  for  the 
better  sanitation  of  the  village,  Mr.  Sturges  also  constructed 
several  miles  of  excellent  macadam  road  which  he  continues  to 
keep  in  fine  condition.  The  late  Frederick  Bronson  was  likewise 
a  benefactor — macadamizing  the  highw^ay  between  Southport  and 
Greenfield  Hill.  Mr.  Oliver  G.  Jennings  is  a  third  contributor 
to  this  form  of  public  progress — macadamizing  the  highway  be- 
tween Osborn  Hill  and  the  main  street — a  kind  of  service  and 
benefit  which  appeals  to  all  classes  of  men  and  wins  universal 
praise.  The  town  owes  a  great  debt  to  her  public-spirited  citi- 
zens who  have  given  freely  their  abundant  means  and  their  per- 
sonal interest  and  devotion  in  behalf  of  numerous  helpful  works. 
The  macadam  road  between  Ash  Creek  and  Southport  was  built 
largely  by  private  subscription.  The  East  Cemeter}^  recently 
enclosed  by  a  substantial  stone  wall  and  fence  and  made  attractive 
by  macadam  roads  and  patriotic  watch-care,  bears  witness  to  this 
prevailing  loyal  impulse. 

THE  COUNTRY  CEUB,  GREENFIELD  HILL 

Incorporated  Feb.  2 2d,  1902. 

President 
Nellis  H.  Sherwood 

Secretary 
Mrs.  D.  B.  Adams 

Treasurer 
J.  Nelson  Hutchinson 
This  organization  has  enjoyed  a  remarkable  prosperity,  start- 
ing in  a  modest  way  and  expanding  in  its  usefulness  until  it  has 
become  one  of  the  most  popular  and  profitable  institutions  in  the 


The  Fairfield  Fountain 


67 

towu.  The  development  of  a  pleasant,  healthful  social  life,  the 
encouragement  of  legitimate  sport,  the  fostering  of  agricultural 
and  horticultural  interests  and  the  general  uplift  of  rural  life — 
these  are  the  chief  ends  in  view.  The  fot^mders  and  supporters 
of  the  Club  have  achieved  their  aim.  One  of  the  delightful  fea- 
tures of  each  autumn  is  the  Fair  conducted  by  this  organization 
on  their  grounds— an  event  which  has  come  to  be  regarded  as 
important  to  a  wide  extent  of  territory — an  event  which  draws 
together  the  largest  number  of  people  accustomed  to  assemble  in 
any  part  of  this  region. 

THE  GRANGE,  GREENFIELD  HILL 

Master 
Simeon  Pease 

Lecturer 
Frank  H.  Whiting 

Secretary 
D.  Frank  Brown 

Treasurer 
John  P.  Morehouse 

THE  CONSUMERS'  LEAGUE 

President 
Mrs.  William  B.  Glover 

First  Vice-President 
Miss  Annie  B.  Jennings 

Second  Vice-President 
Mrs.  Samuel  H.  Wheeler 

Secretary 
Miss  Bessie  L.  Child 

Treasurer 
Mr.  J.  Biting  Deyo 

Auditor 
Mr.  William  A.  Wheatley 

Associated  with  the  Officers  as  Members  of  the 
Executive  Board 
Rev.  Allen  E.  Beeman  Rev.  Frank  S.  Child,  D.D. 

Mrs.  James  O.  Wright  Mrs.  W.  H.  Hinckley 


68 


AUDUBON  SOCIETY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  CONNECTICUT 
For  the  Preservation  of  Birds 

Founded  at  Fairfield,  Jan.  28th,  1898 

President 

Mrs.  James  Osborne  Wright  (Mabe]  Osgood  Wright),  Fairfield 

Vice-President 

Mrs,  Edward  Livingston  Wells,  Southport 

Rev.  Allen  E.  Beeman,  Fairfield  Mrs.  Morris  F.  Tyler,  New  Haven 

Honorary  Vice-Presidents 
Mr.  John  H.  Sage,  Portland  Mr.  Chas.  S.  DeForest,  New  Haven 

Mrs.  Nathaniel  Wheeler,  Bridgeport    Mrs.  E.  Livingston  Wells,  Southport 

Rev.  Fdmund  Guilbert,  D.D.,     " 
Mr.  Charles  M.  Gilman, 
Hon.  John  H.  Perry,  " 

Miss  C.  M.  Milbank,  Greenfield  Hill 
Mr.  Jonas  B.  Kissam,  "  " 

Mrs,  Thomas  K,  Noble,  Norwalk 
Hon.  E.  J.  Hill, 

Mrs.  Melbert  B.  Carey,  Ridgefield 
Hon.  P.  C.  Lounsbury  " 

Mrs.  E.  L.  Scofield,  Stamford 
Miss  Maria  W,  Averill,  Danbury 
Mrs,  J.  Iv.  Fanton,  ** 

Hon.  F.  J.  Kingsbury,  Waterbury 
Secretary 
Mrs,  William  B,  Glover,  Fairfield 

Assistant  Secretary 
Miss  Fanny  B.  Hinckley,  Fairfield 

ScHooi,  Secretary 
Miss  F.  A.  Hurd,  South  Norwalk 

Treasurer 
Miss  Mary  B.  Kippen,  Fairfield 

ExEcuTiYE  Committee 
Mrs,  Samuel  H,  Wheeler,  Fairfield      Mrs.  E.  h.  Wells,  Southport 

Mrs,  Morris  P.  Tyler,  New  Haven 
Mr,  WillardG.  VanName,   " 
Mrs,  C,  K.  Averill,  Bridgeport 
Miss  Grace  R.  Moody,     " 
Mr.  Howard  H.  Knapp,   " 
Mrs.  Catherine  M.  Spaulding,  B'port 
Mrs.  Walter  M.  Smith,  Stamford 
Miss  Katharine  A.  Wilcox,  Westport 
Mrs,  Chester  H.  Brush,  Danbury 
Miss  F.  A.  Hurd,  South  Norwalk 


Mrs    W.  D.  Bishop,  Jr.,  " 

Hon,  Morris  B,  Beardsley,         " 
Mr.  Chas.  K.  Averill, 
Charles  C,  Godfrey,  M.D,, 
Geo,  L.  Porter,  M.D., 
Mr,  David  F,  Read,  " 

Mrs.  Oliver  G.  Jennings,  Fairfield 
Mrs,  Henry  C.  Sturges,  " 

Mr.  Samuel  H.  Wheeler,         " 
Mr.  Henry  S.  Glover.  " 

Rev.  Frank  S.  Child,  D,D,,    " 
Mrs,  Nehemiah  Perry,  *' 

Miss  Laura  G.  Jones,  Hartford 


Miss  Mary  B,  Kippen,  " 

Mrs.  James  O.  Wright,  '* 

Mrs,  W,  B,  Glover, 
Mrs,  H  C,  Sturges, 
Miss  Fanny  B.  Hinckley  " 

Rev.  Allen  E.  Beeman,  " 

Miss  Lottie  A,  Lacey,  Southport 
Mrs.  Edmund  Guilbert,      " 
Mrs,  Howard  N.  Wakeman,  S'port 
""       W,  H.  Holman, 


Mrs. 


Mr.  William  Smith,  South  Norwalk 


The  Gould  Homestead 


69 

This  is  a  State  organization,  but  Fairfield  has  been  its  home 
and  headquarters  from  the  inception.  Many  of  its  officers  and 
active  workers  live  in  the  town.  The  splendid  work  which  the 
Society  has  done  in  the  matter  of  general  nature  study  is  well 
known  as  well  as  for  bird  protection.  By  means  of  lectures,  pic- 
tures, pamphlets,  traveling  libraries,  public  meetings  and  iintir- 
ing  officials  it  has  proved  to  be  a  royal  friend  to  birds  and  men. 

THE  GOULD  HOMESTEAD— SUMMER  HOME 
FOR  WOMEN 
The  daughters  of  the  Hon.  John  Gould  bequeathed  their 
Homestead  and  the  major  portion  of  their  estate  to  Charles  B. 
Jennings,  Rev.  Frank  S.  Child,  Hamilton  S.  Shelton  and  Samuel 
M.  Garlick  in  trust  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  "a  free  Sum- 
mer Home  for  white,  unmarried  Protestant  females,  between  the 
ages  of  eighteen  and  fifty  3^ears,  who  may  be  wholly  dependent 
upon  their  own  labor  for  support  and  residing  in  the  County  of 
Fairfield." 

This  Home — which  commemorates  the  distinguished  services 
of  a  family  connected  with  the  history  of  town  and  colony  since 
the  years  of  first  immigration  to  Connecticut — continues  in  char- 
acteristic way  the  generous  ministry  of  this  eminent  line  of  public 
benefactors. 

FAIRFIELD    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY 

Members  of  the  ExEcuTrvE  Council 

President 

Frank  Samuel  Child,  D.D. 

Vice-President 
Henry  Cady  Sturges,  Esq. 

Secretary 

Rev.  Allen  Everett  Beeman 

Treasurer 

Samuel  Hickox  Wheeler 

William  Hanford  Burr  John  Hoyt  Perry 

Oliver  Gould  Jennings  Winthrop  Hoyt  Perry 

Milton  Silliman  Lacey  Amory  Edwards  Rowland 


70 

This  Society  was  organized  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  historic 
Sherman  mansion  on  June  17th,  1902 — the  one  hundred  and 
twenty-seventh  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  Its 
object  is  to  foster  a  spirit  of  local  and  national  patriotism  by  pub- 
lic meetings,  historical  research,  the  marking  of  interesting  sites, 
the  publication  of  papers  and  documents,  and  the  collection  and 
preservation  of  old  letters,  journals,  books,  furniture,  garments 
and  heirlooms  handed  down  from  an  honorable  ancestry. 

One  of  its  first  tasks  was  the  copying  of  "Volume  A"  of  the 
Land  Records  belonging  to  the  town.  This  book  was  rapidly 
disintegrating.  At  an  expense  of  $350  a  copy  of  the  ancient 
book  was  made,  an  index  was  prepared  and  the  completed  work 
presented  to  the  town  at  the  annual  meeting  Monday,  October 
2nd,  1905. 

Another  work  of  importance  which  has  engaged  the  Society  is 
the  platting  of  the  town.  The  history  of  each  homestead  lot — 
the  names  of  successive  owners — the  character  of  the  building 
located  upon  the  property  and  other  interesting  details — such  is 
the  work  of  platting  the  town. 

The  initiative  has  been  taken  in  erecting  a  monument  to  the 
memory  of  Roger  Ludlow  the  founder  of  Fairfield. 

The  Society  has  issued  seven  publications — its  regular  Annual 
Reports,  the  Commemoration  of  the  One  Hundredth  Anniversary 
of  the  Fairfield  Academy  and  a  Hand-Book  of  Local  History. 

A  museum  of  antiquities  has  already  been  established  in  the 
second  story  of  the  Memorial  Library  where  the  Society  holds  its 
public  meetings.  Numerous  valuable  and  suggestive  gifts  have 
been  received.  Friends  are  cordially  invited  to  co-operate  in  the 
work. 

The  Society  has  a  membership  of  more  than  two  hundred  citi- 
zens and  well  wishers.  The  need  of  a  separate,  fire-proof  build- 
ing, devoted  exclusively  to  its  purposes,  is  to-day  imperative. 
An  endowment  for  the  support  of  such  an  institution  has  been 
started  by  the  generous  bequests  of  three  deceased  friends.  The 
Society  promises  to  become  one  of  the  most  important  educational 
factors  in  the  life  of  this  rich,  historic  section  of  New  England. 


Mill  River  Ford 


71 
BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Colonial  Records  of  Connecticut. 

Town  Records  of  Fairfield. 

Records  of  the  Prime  Ancient  Society. 

Sclienck's — History  of  Fairfield. 

Guilbert's — Annals  of  An  Old  Parish. 

Address  on  the  Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  Pub- 
lic Worship  in  Fairfield. 

Hobart's — First   and   Second   Address   to    the    Members  of  the 
Episcopal  Separation  in  New  England. 

Todd's— Life  of  Joel  Barlow. 

Todd's — In  Olde  Connecticut. 

Centennial  Commemoration  of  the  Burning  of  Fairfield 

Historical  Sermons  of  Hewit,  Humphrey,  Atwater,  Rankin  and 
Child. 

Fisher's — Life  of  Prof.  Benjamin  Silliman. 

Davis' — Memoirs  of  Aaron  Burr. 

Dwight's — Travels  in  New  England  and  New  York. 

Barber's — Historical  Collection. 

Trumbull's — History  of  Connecticut. 

HoUister's — History  of  Connecticut. 

Lossing's — Field  Book  of  the  American  Revolution. 

Todd's — Genealogy  of  the  Burr  Family. 

Wakeman's — Genealogy  of  the  Wakeman  Family. 

Child's— An  Old  New  England  Town. 
A  Colonial  Witch. 
A  Puritan  Wooing. 
An  Unknown  Patriot. 
Friend  or  Foe. 
The  House  with  Sixty  Closets. 

Wright's — The    Friendship   of    Nature    (Pictures   of    Fairfield 
Scenery) . 

Wright's — Flowers  and  Ferns  in  their  Haunts  (Descriptive   of 
Fairfield  Flora). 

Beers' — John  Jones. 

Beers' — Judge  Roger  M.  Sherman. 


72 

Perry's — The  Great  Swamp  Fight  in  Fairfield. 

Perry's — Andrew  Ward,  An  Historical  Sketch 

Child's — Ministers  in  the  Prime  Ancient  Society. 

Centennial  of  the  Fairfield  Academy. 

Annual  Reports  of  the  Fairfield  Historical  Society. 

Unveiling  of  the  Andrew^  Ward  Monument. 

Laying  of  the  Corner  Stone  of  Fairfield  Memorial  Library. 

Dedication  of  Memorial  Library,  1903. 

Report  of  the  Fairfield  Fresh  Air  Home. 

Report  of  the  Fairfield  Fresh  Air  Hospital  for  Convalescent 
Soldiers. 

The  Sixth  Sanctuary. 

Mrs.  Kate  E.  Perry's— The  Old  Burying  Ground  of  Fairfield. 

Town's — Detail  of  the  American  Revolution. 

Taylor's — Roger  Ludlow,  The  Colonial  Lawmaker. 

History  of  the  Pequot  War — Contemporary  Accounts  of  Mason, 
Underbill,  Vincent  and  Gardener — Reprinted  from  the  Collec- 
tions of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society. 

Memoirs  of  Col.  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  prepared  by  Himself. 

Contributions  to  the  Ecclesiastical  History  of  Connecticut. 

Beardsley's — History  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Connecticut. 

Hinman's — Connecticut  in  the  American  Revolution. 

Bulkley's — Mill  River,  Southport,  Reminiscences  of  the  Past. 

Higgings' — Dorothy  Q.  Hancock. 

Beers' — Major  Nathan  Gold. 

Mill's — Manuscript  Notes  on  Fairfield. 

Mill's — Notes  for  Meeting  of  Colonial  Dames  at  *'Mailands," 
Oct.  1 2th,  1905. 

Child's — Major  Nathan  Gold. 

Memorial  of  Nathaniel  Hewit,  D.D. 

Memorial  of  Heman  Humphrey,  D.D. 

Atwater's — Address  on  Judge  Roger  M.  Sherman. 

Auxiliary,  No.  29 — American  National  Red  Cross  Relief  Com- 
mittee. 

Sturges'— Social  and  Intellectual  Life  in  Old  Fairfield. 

Todd's— History  of  Redding. 


Saved  from  the  Burning,   1779 


73 

Kurd's — History  of  Fairfield  Count5\ 

The  Fairfield  Gazette  (1787). 

Child's — "A  Church  of  the  Established  Religion  in  Connecti- 
cut"— "Being  an  Historical  Sketch  of  the  First  Church  of 
Christ  and  the  Prime  Ancient  Society  of  Fairfield,"  Commem- 
orating the  Two  Hundred  and  Seventieth  Anniversary  of 
Public  Worship  in  Town. 

The  Southport  Chronicle. 

The  Fairfield  Record. 

The  Weekly  Times. 

Manuscripts — Genealogical,  Descriptive  and  Historical — belong- 
ing to  the  Fairfield  Historical  Society. 

Osborne 'vS — Captain  Samuel  Smedley. 


i4 

The  Rev.  Andrew  Eliot,  A.  M.,  to  his  father,  the 
Rev.  Andrew  Eliot,  D.  D. 

''Fairfield,  May  21st,  1778 
Rev.  and  Hon'd  Sir  : 

Can  you  think  it  ?     On  Monday 

Evening  in  Election  Week — In  Hartford,  the  Capital  of  the 
State — in  the  Court  House — the  place  where  the  Fathers  of  the 
Senate  meet — at  the  most  public  time,  and  in  the  most  public 
manner,  was  acted  Tancred  and  Sigismunda,  by  the  Junior 
Sophister  Class  of  Yale  College,  who  had  been  forbidden  to  act 
the  same  at  Glastonbury  (where  they  have  lately  studied)  and 
who  embraced  the  opportunity  of  vacation  and  secured  the  Court 
House  for  the  purpose.  To  this  succeeded  a  farce  of  their  own 
composing  in  which  Gen 'Is  Burgoyne  and  Prescot  were  intro- 
duced. To  keep  up  the  characters  of  these  Generals,  especially 
Prescot,  they  were  obliged  (I  believe  not  to  their  sorrow),  to 
indulge  in  very  indecent  and  profane  language. 

The  audience  consisted  of  the  Gentry  of  Hartford  and  the 
vicinity,  and  a  number  of  strangers,  among  whom  were  Dr. 
Rodgers  and  Mr.  Tennent.     These  Rev'd  Gentlemen  were  much 

ofiFended  at  the  profane  language  introduced What 

adds  to  the  illegality  of  the  affair  is  that  the  actors  were  not 
only  dressed  agreeable  to  the  characters  they  assumed  as  Men, 
but  female  apparel  and  ornaments  were  put  on  some,  contrary 
to  an  express  statute.  Besides  it  cost  the  lads  sixty  pounds  ster- 
ling to  prepare  for  the  exhibition."     .... 


Jfi'^j' 


Miivi.  PivAiN  Green 


75 
THE   BURNING   OF  FAIRFIELD." 
By   Timothy  Dwight. 


''  On  yon  bright  plain,  with  beauty  gay," 

"  Where  waters  wind  and  cattle  play," 

''Where  gardens,  groves  and  orchards  bloom," 

*•  Unconscious  of  her  coming  doom," 

"  Once  Fairfield  smiled.     The  tidy  dome," 

"  Of  pleasure  and  of  peace,  the  home," 

"  There  rose  ;  and  there  the  glittering  spire," 

*'  Secure  from  sacrilegious  fire." 

"  And  now  no  scenes  had  brighter  smiled," 

**  No  skies,  with  purer  splendor  mild," 

' '  No  greener  wreath  had  crowned  the  spring, ' ' 

"  Nor  sweeter  breezes  spread  the  wing," 

"  Nor  streams  through  gayer  margins  rolled," 

''  Nor  harvests  waved  with  richer  gold," 

*'  Nor  flocks  on  brighter  hillocks  played," 

*  *  Nor  groves  intwined  a  safer  shade. ' ' 

"  But  o'er  her  plains,  infernal  war" 

"  Has  whirled  the  terrors  of  his  car," 

*'  The  vengeance  poured  of  wasting  flame," 

' '  And  blackened  man  with  endless  shame. ' ' 


^J^^ 


XME       l="AIRF-|EI_D        P»RINTINQ       CO. 
F-Alf=»f'IELO,    OONM. 


35 


86 


University  of 
Connecticut 

Libraries 


